


A Shining Beacon

by Maries_Curiosities



Series: A Shining Beacon [1]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series), Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: Amnesia, Angst, Anxiety, Beau is a tsundere, Big Sister Jester, Campaign 2, Dadduceus, Eldritch Gods - Freeform, Eventual Romance, Fanart, Fluff, Heavy Lore Divergence, Homebrew Magic, Luxon Beacon, Major Plot Divergence, Mighty Nein, Mighty Nein as Family, Multi, Original Characters - Freeform, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, PTSD, Planeswalker(dnd), Slow Burn, Spoilers, Thirsty for comments, critical role - Freeform, dunamancy, oc-insert, shameless fluff it’s gonna rot your teeth
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-03
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:13:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 39,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27372481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maries_Curiosities/pseuds/Maries_Curiosities
Summary: A story where the Mighty Nein find a broken, scared girl within the depths of the Sour Nest and take her into their odd little family. Mysteries, secrets, and ancient sins will follow, and more than one great power will seek to control the fate of a child who can command time. (Alternatively: the party adopts a dunamantic sorcerer)Starts around season 2 ep. 29
Relationships: Beauregard Lionett/Yasha, Fjord/Jester Lavorre, Shadowgast(maybe~), found family - Relationship
Series: A Shining Beacon [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1999423
Comments: 2
Kudos: 34





	1. Shackles

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Critical Role or Dungeons and Dragons. This is an oc-insert story centered more around character interactions and satisfying my obsessive need to write. For funnsies I will try to follow along the dnd rules note-for-note, but of course that will fall apart the moment it’s needed for narrative reasons. So if that’s not your thing, I apologize. If not then, well, welcome to the chaos!
> 
> (Arc One) Escape the Nightmare: chapters 1–? COMPLETE  
> (Arc Two) Waves of Destiny: chapters ?—?  
> (Arc Three) Into the Frying Pan: chapters ?—?  
> (Arc Four) And Into the Fire: chapters ?—?  
> (Arc Five) Fractured Loyalties: chapters ?—?  
> (Arc Six) Burried Memories: chapters ?—?  
> (Arc Seven) Party Before the Storm: chapters ?—?  
> (Arc Eight) Family Reunions: chapters ?—?
> 
> Also, this is my first Fanfiction ever so feel free to give feedback and thoughts in the comments! :^)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Nein find a little more than they bargained for...
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING:  
> \--Imprisonment  
> \--Mild language  
> \--SPOILERS(duh)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNINGS:  
> —Imprisonment  
> —Minor Cursing  
> —SPOILERS! (duh)
> 
> The party just finished their recent encounter with the torturer and freed Nila’s family. Now down another member, they continue to delve into the depths of the Sour Nest and find something they did not expect.

The air was stale and rife with blood—old and new. The Might Nein had just finished their recent encounter with the guard torturing Nila’s family, and the violence was still fresh in their minds. They were happy the family was reunited, but they were now down a team member and there were still more enemies ahead. Strangely, there was no other noise echoing in the long, narrow hallways other than their own footsteps. An unnatural quiet hung in the air, ripe with anticipation. There were no other prison cells, no guards, just the faint flickering light from the mounted torches. Tension rose among the group, anxious that at any moment they might fall into a trap. Cautious, they continued pushing deeper into the compound.

Nott poked her head around a corner, signaling for everyone to wait behind her. She tilted her head, trying to catch a glimpse of any movement from the other side.

“I’m not too sure...but I think we’re alone.”

“Hold on, lemme see.” Keg tried to peer over her shoulder, but a crack in the stone floor caught on her foot and she stumbled. Teetering to the left, she flew out her hands to catch herself on the wall, only to fall through it. Her entire upper torso disappeared, making it look like her lower half was sticking out of the stone.

“Ow…” She cursed, getting up and phasing through so only her arm and leg were visible. 

“Oh no! The wall ate Keg!” Nott panicked. 

“No Nott, I’m fine.” They could practically hear her rolling her eyes. She emerged from the wall, perfectly fine and a little flustered. Caleb reached his hand out, feeling nothing but air as it phased through the wall.

“Curious...” He muttered.

“There’s a uh, door on the other side. Might wanna check that out.” Keg added, trying to play off the incident. 

The others shared cautious glances, then followed the dwarf through the illusion. There they entered a tiny, cramped room with a metal door facing them. There was a heavy chain locking it, and there was no window, no keyhole, no slot that could allow anyone to peak inside.

“Well this is strange.” Caleb commented.

“Do you think we should go in?” Caduceus asked.

“I don’t know, could be a trap.” Beau said, crossing her arms.

“Who’d make a trap then hide it behind an illusion spell?” Caduceus shot back, genuinely confused.

“Oh! Maybe it’s a secret armory or storehouse, with all their important documents or magical items locked up so nobody steals it!” Nott said eagerly, already leaning towards the lock. 

“Or more some ‘prisoners of interest’.” Keg added, making air quotes. Beau raised an eyebrow, looking intrigued.

“Alright...maybe it’s worth checking out.” She relented, nodding to the goblin. Nott grinned, and started fiddling with the lock.

Caleb said nothing, cautiously running a hand over the metal frame. He didn’t sense any magic, at least from this end. There was an odd pressure though, something blocking him from reaching out to the other side. He didn’t like it.

“Iiiiii don’t trust this. There’s something blocking me from seeing the other side.” He warned. “Maybe we should be more careful—“

“Got it!” Nott exclaimed. There was an audible click as the chain went slack, followed by an echoing thud as it hit the floor. They all tensed, waiting a baited breath for something to happen. Nothing did. Beau turned to the group, hand hovering over the handle.

“Ok. I open this door...and we run in. There’s no way we can sneak through if any of those fuckers are on the other side so be ready.” The others nodded, pulling out their weapons in preparation.

Beau nodded once, wrapping her hand around the handle before throwing it open. Nott rushed in first, screaming a guttural war cry. As the others poured in after, the shout faded into a stunned silence. 

“Uh...fuck.” Beau muttered.

It was a dark room without any light except the bit coming out from the opened door, even smaller than the one outside. From what they could see, there were runes etched all over the walls, prompting Caleb to cast ‘detect magic’ again. There was barely any room for the five of them to fit without touching each other. Them, and the tiny body already inside. 

Shackled in a corner of the room was an emaciated teifling with lopsided horns, the shorter one being snapped in half. The mangled net of hair was covering most of their face, and there was a pair of manacles that completely encased their hands. Wearing nothing but a tattered nightgown, they could clearly see the bones beneath wasted skin and grime. The smell inside was rancid, the girl’s tattered nightshift was riddled with dark stains and rife with the smell of filth and decay. It was clear whoever this was had been here a while.

“Oh.” Caduceus echoed, frowning a little as he drew his brows together. Something was off... 

“Well uh, you were kinda right Keg.” Nott said, lowering her crossbow as Caduceus continued to frown at the tiny form. There was a shaky pause.

“We should, uh…” Beau didn’t finish, noticing the subtle rise and fall of the girl’s chest. “Fuck, the kid’s alive!”

Caduceus’s ear twitched, catching a faint whimper as she said this. He slowly approached the child, his footsteps echoing inside the room. The child burst to life, frantically pushing themself as far away as possible as he drew nearer. 

The child’s hair shifted, revealing a gag and blindfold around their grey, grime-stained face. On closer inspection the child looked fourteen...maybe even thirteen. There was still no way to tell if they were male or female. It was so hard to tell, they were so frail. It was a miracle they were alive, let alone moving around so quickly. 

His hands reached out, attempting to lift the blindfold but the child reeled back, shrieking behind the gag and raising their hands up defensively. The chains caught, and they could only bring their arms up halfway.

“Shh, it’s alright little one, I’m not going to hurt you.” He said softly. The kid paused at the unfamiliar voice. He could feel them shaking as he slid his fingers around the blindfold, untying the knot. Their eyes snapped shut at the sudden exposure to light as he pulled the stained cloth away. The circles under their eyes were startling, lids so sunken in they looked more like sockets.

“We’re here to help,” Caduceus continued, making her shivering pause, “we’re not with the Iron Shepherds, we’re not here to hurt you. We are here to rescue people and put all of this to an end. Will you let us help you?” 

Slowly, hesitantly, their eyes opened. He was surprised by how bright they were, even glowing in the darkened space. At first he thought they were purple, then blue, then lilac as their glowing irises adjusted, a stark contrast to their black sclera.

The child stared at him, eyes uncertainly flickering between him, Caleb, and Beau. Slowly they nodded, relaxing by a minuscule fraction. Taking this as permission he reached out his hands again. He paused before they could touch their face, sensing their apprehension.

“I’m going to take off the gag, is that alright?” The child hesitated, but nodded. He carefully untied the cloth, letting them stretch their jaw. There was a soft pop as they stretched, the child wincing and licking their cracked lips. 

“Th-thank you, s-sir.” Came a tiny, feminine voice that was barely a whisper. The child dipped her head, looking at Caduceus noticeably less fear than before. Encouraged by this, the others shifted closer. Caleb was currently glaring at the walls, a frown over his face. 

“What is your name, little one?” Caduceus asked.

“V-Valyria.” Her voice cracked and dissolved into a cough. 

“How long were you kept down here?” Beau asked more bluntly, stepping forward. The girl flinched.

“A-a couple days….m-maybe weeks?” She muttered. “I was, in the cells for a c-couple days then they...they just threw me in here! I don’t know how long it's been, I’m sorry.” She flinched as if expecting to be hit.

“It’s alright. Are you hurt anywhere?” Caduceus gently pushed. Valyria shook her head, despite the obvious bruises and scrapes on her body. He placed a hand over her shoulder, casting a soft ‘healing word’, but nothing happened.

“That’s...weird.” Caduceus said, looking at his hand with a frown.

“There’s an anti-magic field here.” Caleb clarified, peeling his eyes away from the runes. The spell was complicated, and no easy feat for a novice caster. But why…

When he looked back at the group his eyes met with the child’s, and at once a sense of dejavu gripped his mind. He shook his head violently, there was no time to be haunted by those memories. “This is not a good place, I suggest we leave quickly.” he announced, stepping out quickly before any memories could resurface.

“Oh! I’ve got it!” Not exclaimed, rushing forward and pulling out her lock picking tools. 

At the sight of her the girl backed away, gasping a little. She held her wrists tightly to her chest, lips trembling.

“Shit! Uh, I’m not gonna eat you!” Nott panicked, trying to smile disarmingly but the jagged teeth were giving the wrong impression. The girl didn’t look sure, glancing up to Caduceus for conformation.

“She’s with us, don’t worry.” He assured her.

“She’s a good friend, good with lockpicking.” Caleb called out from the other room, his voice strained. Valyria looked unconvinced. Still, she held out her wrists, watching Nott with eyes the size of dinner plates as she started tinkering with the shackles. It took a minute, Nott cursing under her breath as she fiddled with the metal tools. Finally there was a click, and the metal bands fell to the floor.

“Th-thank you, miss...” Valyria muttered, rubbing at her wrists with a still cautious expression, though not specifically aimed at Nott. Caduceus frowned at the greenish bruises on her wrist. There were multiple scars along her left hand, though in the dim light he couldn’t see the extent of it. 

“Now what?” Nott asked the group.

“Can you stand?” Caduceus asked. The girl nodded, using the wall to steady herself on her spindly legs. Too weak. After two seconds her legs buckled and she fell. Thankfully the firbolg caught her. He froze at the sight of her back. The rags, shredded. Her entire back a stretched canvas of dozens and dozens and _dozens_ of lashings. No inch was spared, the long, thick strands of cuts thinning only at the corners of her shoulders. It was practically a giant red stamp. It looked partially healed, deep brown and red scabs bulging over the skin, but recent movement had caused some of them to split open and fresh blood slowly ooze down. At their silence, despite the gorey circumstances, Valyria chuckled weakly.

“I take it it’s bad?” She breathed, glancing over her shoulder.

“Yeah um, fuck kid!” Beau grunted, looking disturbed as the girl continued to smile. She winced.

“Yeah...I don’t know if I’ll be of much help like this.” She admitted.

“H-Hold on, I can...I can fix this.” Caduceus said, shaking off his disturbance and carefully slinking his arm under hers. Her face turned ashy as he helped her upright. 

“We can’t send her out.” Keg said, frowning as she watched Caduceus help the kid wobble outside and start healing her back. “Even if she could walk, she’ll be by herself in Shady Creek. She won’t last a minute.”

“Well, we can’t risk leaving and getting caught sneaking back in.” Beau vocalized, frowning. “We’re already on a tight schedule as it is.”

“So we keep her with us!” Keg suggested. All four of them turned to look at her with varying mixes of surprise, offense, and outrage.

“You’re kidding right? We can’t just take a kid into a fight!” Beau exclaimed.

“We’re wasting time.” Caleb interrupted. “Caduceus, you carry her for now, ya? We can keep her safe if she’s with us, and then we can leave _after_ finding everyone.”

Caduceus nodded, muttering something to the girl before she nodded and let him help her onto his back. She wrapped her arms around his neck, looking down at the party with a frown.

“You’re friends are here too?” She asked, her voice noticeably less strained.

“Ya, have you seen them?” Caleb asked hopefully. She shook her head.

“I...heard them talking about taking some...new _projects_ into the, b-breaking room—but I don’t know where that is.” Caleb looked discouraged at her words, making her shrink.

“Well...at least we know they’re still here.” He said, not sounding too enthused.

“Ok! Let’s keep going!” Nott said, more optimistic than her tall, red-headed friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1/3/21: Haha! I finally figured out how to add my artwork biatches!!!! THIS CHAPTER’s gonna get some artwork and THIS CHAPTERms gonna get some artwork! Bwmuwahahahaha!!!*evil artist cackling continues


	2. End of a Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The showdown between the Iron Shepards and the Mighty Nein commence...
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING:  
> \--Violence  
> \--Mild language  
> \--Reference to torture  
> \--Badly constructed battle plans  
> \--SPOILERS(duh)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be honest I wanna skip ahead to once everyone gets OUT of the Sour Nest, buuuuuuuut this is important so we’re gonna skim through most of the dungeon crawl and head straight into the good stuff.

Valyria pointed them down a series of corridors and staircases, warning them there was another torture chamber ahead. Surprisingly, that was where the group had originated from, as she quickly gleaned from the dead bodies and shattered cages. She stared down at one, splayed out on the floor in a blanket of bloody fungus. She blanched.

“Huh...that’s weird.” She commented as Beau and Caleb muttered with one another.

“Are you good? You’re not gonna throw up or anything if you see people dying are you?” Nott asked, backing away from her. Valyria snorted.

“Yeah uhm, you’re joking right?” Silence. Valyria sighed, the group beginning to slip out the room. “No, no really, I’ll be fine.”

It wasn’t the first dead body she had seen, and very likely not the last. That’s what she told herself. That’s what she thought before noticing a rat, scuttling by a face and sniffing around its ear, whiskers dipping in its blood. It started to nibble, open eyes staring blankly ahead... 

“A-anyway, I assume you haven’t gone through that hallway on the right?” She said, averting her gaze. 

“No, but we’re aware that Ruzza and Protto are up ahead.” Caleb confirmed. She paused. How did they know? She wanted to ask but it didn’t matter, not right now anyway. She just nodded, licking her chapped lips and bracing herself for a fight.

“Okay, well, we have to get past them to get to the others.” She said.

“You are certain of this?” Caleb asked. She nodded.

“Perfect.” Keg said enthusiastically, adjusting her grip on her warhammer.

“Just stay in the back with Valyria for now, kay Caduceus?” Beau said. The firbolg nodded. 

They made their way down to the double arched chamber, sticking close to the walls and avoiding the very anticipative gaze of Luzza and Protto. 

Valyria caught sight of a sudden movement. A black flicker whizzed by, and for a second she thought she caught sight of a hummingbird. Before she could react she heard Ruzza’s voice,

“Are they coming or not? I’m getting impatient.” She shuddered, an acidic anxiety coiling in her gut.

“Yeah, maybe we should poke one of them.” Protto answered. There was a muffled scream, making Valyria’s teeth clench. 

“Are we going or not?” She hissed.

“Just wait.” Caleb said, pulling out a piece of parchment which burned in his hands. All of a sudden he was gone, disappearing in a matter of seconds.

“Wait here.” His disembodied voice hissed, then there was silence.

The hairs on the back of her neck bristled. She didn’t like the idea of Caleb being alone in a room with them. The group seemed to agree, getting antsy when nothing happened. One by one they stacked their heads over the edge of the hallway, trying to get a better look. Suddenly Keg slammed into them, a loud clang drawing the two slavers’ attention. Valyria squeaked.

“Shit, they’re here! Back up!” Luzza started scurrying away, Protto following suit.

“Come on! There’s a trapdoor further down—we _can’t_ let them reach it!” Valyria said, her voice growing shrill.

Running down the hall, she quickly noticed several things. The biggest one was a floating statue of a woman, which was flying across the room and chasing after Protto. There was a wild-haired man leaping out of one of the cages, smiling as the hummingbird darted to his shoulder. Luzza meanwhile, was running away.

Instinctually Valyria reached out to cast something, to stop her. But she had nothing. Her instrument was gone, smashed. All of her belongings, taken. The only spells she knew that could actually do anything was—No! No, she wasn’t going to use that! Anything but that. She didn’t know these people, didn’t know if they were going to turn around and sell her just like these monsters were planning to! If they knew…

She gritted her teeth, shaking her head violently. No matter what happened she couldn’t use her magic, she just couldn’t. It was too much of a risk. She watched as Ruzza—the one who kidnapped her, the one who gave her her first set of scars, the lying snake that was entire reason why she was trapped here—scramble back as an arrow shot into her chest. She stumbled as another pierced her shoulder, backing into a wall and glaring right past her.

“You son of a bitch!” She hissed at the goblin.

“Fuck you I’m a lady!” Nott shot back, ducking behind one of the cages. Ruzza grinned snidely, hand reaching up towards a recess in the wall. Valyria knew what it meant.

”No!” As if that could stop her. Ruzza pulled the lever, a heavy gate crashing down and trapping them in the room. Their eyes met, and Valyria curled away. Ruzza’s mouth turned downward.

”Fuck, again? This ain’t gonna turn out good for you brat.” She knew all too well what that promise entailed. Her hands started shaking in memory. She was just about to say something, a poor attempt at a witty comeback when a voice froze them in her throat,

 **“Mmmm…”** A low, deep chuckle that belonged to Lorenzo, **“It’s rare that the meat carries itself right to your table.”** She could feel his attention center on her. **“As for you...you know what happens when you misbehave...now watch as your ‘so-called’ saviors are broken…”**

“He’s invisible too?! Everyone knows this trick!” Beau lamented.

Caduceus was saying something, but she couldn’t register it. 

Oh gods, oh gods! _He knew_! He knew she was out—he was going to kill her! Her back started itching, memories of past punishments choking the air out of her lungs. The room was getting smaller. Tighter. His hands were wrapped around her throat. What would he do? Flay her alive? Rip out her teeth? Let Ruzza snap her fingers all over again? She’d seen it all before, experienced a small taste of it. What was going to stop him from tearing her apart like all the others, before having Dwelma stitch her together again. Over. And over. And over—

She couldn’t breath! She couldn’t—Everything was getting fuzzy...

. . . . . 

“Hey. Hey kid, you alright?” Valyria gasped, bolting upright. 

“Lorenzo! Where is—where’d they—“ Caduceus’s hand fell over her shoulder, steadying her.

“It’s ok, he’s not here right now.” He assured, the pressure heady enough. 

No, no he was still here! Valyria tried to focus on what was around her, trying to see where the monster was hiding. They were gone from that narrow room, and there was light. Dim, flickering torches lining the narrow hallway, but she could see. She could see...nothing. Nothing. He wasn’t here—o-or was he? He could turn invisible, he could be anywhere he could—The feeling of soft fur against her hands drew her back to reality, and she looked up.

”Just breath, alright? Nice and slow.” 

She nodded shakily, closing her eyes and trying to slow the rapid hammering in her chest. The wave was hard to fight against, the pressure it dragged her under was completely suffocating. She felt Caduceus’s hands tightening around hers, and she used that sensation to anchor herself.

When her eyes finally opened she took the room back into account. Caduceus was looking down at her with worry, and the other adventurers had their attention on her. Caleb was missing, and in his place was an old, dark-skinned human with crazy white hair. A flash of movement caught her attention, and a tiny, black hummingbird came into focus, hovering a couple feet away from her face. She blinked.

“Is...everything alright? Did, did they get away?” She asked cautiously, still not sure how to interact around these strangers.

“We took ‘em out.” Beau shrugged.

”R-really?” She didn’t remember that happening. She couldn’t help but frown. Caduceus nodded.

“You kind of passed out on us.” He stated. She nodded, throat feeling dry.

“S-sorry, Lorenzo just—i-it’s fine.” She insisted, avoiding their gaze. She cleared her throat. 

“If you don’t mind—” she jumped, Caleb’s voice suddenly coming from the empty space in front of her, “sorry, I’m still invisible. Anyway, is this the room you were talking about?” He said in a rush, obviously impatient. Valyria frowned, glancing around the corridor. A familiar leather-covered table, two adjacent cells, and a wall of irons resting before a burning brazier. She recognized it alright, spent three weeks watching countless people being broken. Her hands shook.

“Yeah, yeah this is it. They should be in one of those cells.” 

Conversation soon broke out over what to do next. Shakaste—as the old man introduced himself—sent his hummingbird to scout out the area even after Valyria described it. Nott, Keg, and Beau were standing off in the corner, chattering over how they’d go down, which somehow derived into a ventriloquist act and debating over insults. Their interaction was confusing, ridiculous, and despite the current circumstances Valyria couldn’t help but laugh weakly to herself. 

“Ok, an illusion of me is coming down the stairs.” Keg finally decided, “I’m gonna try and ventriloquist the illusion to say ‘Hey chrome dome—‘“

“Hey _fucking_ chrome dome.” Beau corrected, earring an eager nod from Keg.

“Yeah yeah!” Nott and Keg chorused.

“What the hell are we doing?” Caleb’s disembodied voice hissed. The others turned in his direction, staring blankly at empty air.

“We’re workshopping a bit.” Beau started matter-o-factory.

“We’ll draw them out and when we do we just run and gun?” Nott added.

“Let’s stop making so much noise and try it, then.” Caleb said. She could practically hear him pulling his hair out.

Valyria had to bite her lips to keep from laughing. Nott casted an illusion of Keg which descended the stairs, followed by the real Keg shouting,

“Hey fucking chrome dome!”

Silence. Keg quickly started gyrating, making her platemetal clang loudly. Nott focused, pantomiming whatever movement the illusion was taking, ‘scanning’ the room and pulling out a fake cigarette.

There was a loud whoosh. ‘Keg’ fell to the ground as a crossbow bolt phased through, followed by two more. Out the corner of her eye, Valyria could catch sight of a crossbow poking out from the leather-covered table.

“Ok, so step one worked really well...what do we do now?” Nott looked to the group for an answer. Valyria shrugged. 

“Maybe it’s Protto and that lacky.” Beau mused, digging through her pocket to pull out a handful of brightly colored bundles. “I still got firecrackers.” Shrug. “Just saying.” With that, she lit one of the cherry bombs and tossed it into the room.

Silence.

“Wait for it. Wait for it.” Beau held a finger up as everyone waited in anticipation. There was a loud ‘sshk!’ followed by smoke. “Ok—go go go!”

“Wait—we’re going in?” Valyria panicked. Nott fumbled with her crossbow, screaming after Beau as they raced down the stairs. The others hesitated, but quickly followed. Caduceus held back.

“I...guess so.” Caduceus adjusted Valyria on his back, holding her up with one hand and gripping his staff with the other. “Just keep your head down, we’ll be fine.” Then he descended the stairs.

Caduceus, and thus Valyria, were the last ones that went inside. Just in time to see a cross-bolt sink into Nott’s knee. Caduceus shifted, sensing someone nearby but Valyria saw her first. Ruzza.

“Oh great.” Ruzza observed dryly, frowning. 

“How are the burns?” Valyria taunted.

 **“Do not kill them.”** That voice demanded, booming voice echo through the chamber, but it had a source this time. Her head spun around and she saw him, entering the room from behind Beau. She froze. Lorenzo. 

He was in his true form. A brutish, hulking, blue-skinned demon with glowing red eyes and horns jutting out of his forehead. He held his glave in one hand, a snarl stretching across his tattooed face as he spoke,

 **“They’ve not earned the mercy I gifted their caladoscope friend. Let them bleed, and bring them in chains. Oh, the horrors you’ll see…”** He said this, directing his glowing red gaze to Valyria.

“W-watch out Beau!” She cried. Beau barely managed to duck out of the way, Lorenzo’s glaive cracking down and embedding in the ground. He chuckled.

A discordant melody filled the chamber, Ruzza casting a spell in their direction. Valyria recognized it, and fearing the worst clapped her hands over Caduceus’s ears, hoping it’d stop him from its effect.

Static started filling her vision and Caduceus swayed. He stumbled, but somehow managed to shake off the spell. Ruzza cursed, backing away with a fearful look in her eyes. Like a coward she turned tail and ran.

“Are you alright?” Valyria asked, pulling her hands away as Caduceus stepped back.

“Yes, thank you.” He said, distracted as he flung a spell at Ruzza. It didn’t seem to work. “Hold tight!” Caduceus warned, gripping his staff in a defensive stance. Valyria’s grip around him tightened, fear taking hold of her body as he turned to Ruzza. He flicked a spell in her direction, though it didn’t seem to work.

An explosion of fire erupted from Caleb’s hands, surrounding Lorenzo from up in his perch in the air. It did nothing, barely even scorching his skin. Lorenzo laughed.

 **“Glad you can join us.”** He sneered.

“Uhhh, wie gehts?” The wizard said nervously, stepping back.

It’s not gonna do anything, it barely even scratched him! The urge to do something was screaming again. But she was so scared, so scared it wouldn’t work. It would just piss him off. She watched, frozen as she watched Beau seize up from a spell. No. No she had to try! Shaking, she started mumbling to herself, trying to think of a way she could help without making things worse. A tiny spiral of purple mist condensed in her hands.

Caduceus started walking towards Lorenzo, only a couple steps before whispering into the purple crystal in his staff. A frothing bubble of beetles fizzed to life around the crystal, before shooting out and swarming around the Oni. He stepped back again, making sure to keep her protected behind his back. Lorenzo snarled, head snapping in their direction.

A sudden pang of fear and her concentration broke. Valyria gritted her teeth, hands digging into Caduceus’s armor as her chest constricted in protest. She couldn’t. She couldn’t do it! All it would do was make him mad!

Caduceus shot out a spell, hitting Lorenzo with a blast of radiant damage that seared into his shoulder. All that did was make him growl.

 **“Ooh. That’s not gonna do.”** The demon tsked, suddenly vanishing from sight. Valyria’s breathing grew shallow, an overwhelming pressure constricting around her chest. Where was he? Where was he?! He was going to kill everyone, he was gonna kill them!

“Hold on, we’ll be ok!” Caduceus assured, his words falling on deaf ears. He was moving, trying to shield her against the wall. The pressure grew tighter, blurring the world around her.

“Where’d he go?” Nott exclaimed.

“He’s still here, he’s still here!” She tried to warn them. A cold chuckle reverberated through the chamber,

**“Oh little girl, you’re making crafting this nightmare too easy.”**

A curl of blueish energy circled in front of Beau and Keg. The temperature in the room suddenly fell below zero. In a brief instant Lorenzo appeared before the two, releasing a cone of ice from his maw. Valyria cried out, shivering as ice crystals formed over her hair. She was lucky.

Everyone else was hit. Caduceus was knocked back, hitting her against the wall and she fell to the ground. The air was knocked out of her lungs and they fell. She lifted her head, just in time to see Shakaste and Beau fall, bodies encased in ice. They didn't get up.

“No!” The girl screamed, throwing out her hands. 

The pressure in her chest exploded. A shockwave of purple distortion crackled through her arms, exploding outward in a jet of glowing mist. It engulfed the entire room, entangling around Lorenzo, Shakaste, Beau, even circling Keg and Caduceus. 

Like hitting rewind, Lorenzo’s entire attack was reversed. The ice receded, rewinding back into his hand and disappearing. Shakaste and Beau were lifted off the ground, returned to the table as ice pulled away from their bodies. The mist faded. Valyria’s hands twitched, and time returned to normal. Like nothing happened. Everyone in the room stumbled, even Lorenzo. The giant narrowed his eyes at her, a low growl rumbling in the back of his throat.

 **“Oh, you’ll pay for that.”** He promised. She believed him, eyes going hazy from using her magic.

It was nearly impossible to stay awake. She could barely lift her head as an explosion of heat shot out from the staircase, a torrent of flames engulfing Lorenzo’s shoulder. Despite the sudden influx in heat the numbness continued to spread inside her fingers. the cold seeping out from her chest and leaving her hollow.

Caduceus recognized that she was about to slip again, scooping her into his arms and darting away as Keg embedded two strikes into Lorenzo. Valyria’s breath was growing labored, no longer able to feel anything but ice.

For a split second everything was going black.

Then there was a warmth, branching out from her shoulder. The ice receded, clearing her mind She blinked, looking up to see Caduceus’s hand, glowing slightly as he pulled the ice away.

“Stay with me now.” Caduceus said, the glow in his hand receding.

“Th-thank you.” She stammered, still tired, then turned her head around the corner to see what was happening.

Shakaste had released a bubble of energy that rolled over everyone. She felt another wave of warmth as everyone else’s intrigues were washed away. Nott fired a crossbow, hitting Lorenzo. Was she imagining it, or was he actually losing?

Beau followed by hitting him. Again and again, striking along pressure points and ending with a palm strike to his nose. There was an audible crack, and the demon actually stumbled back. Keg was ready, reeling her hammer up high to swing into his arm. Lorenzo, now desperate, grabbed the warhammer and roared at her face,

 **“Go on,** **_try it_ ** **!”**

“...Okay!” Keg struck again, but he grabbed the other weapon. The two were deadlocked, arms straining against each other. Suddenly, with a heave Keg slipped her warhammer away, managing to get at least one hit into his side. 

Another crackling roar filled the room as another fire bolt whizzed through the air. Lorenzo turned his head, and the flames engulfed it. An explosion of heat and light filled the room, the blazing inferno seeming to flare to life. There was an unearthly howl, one that dwindled down to nothing as the flames dispersed. Leaving nothing but a charred skull as the fire continued to crawl down his body.

The body fell, fading away to dust and blackened shale. The two women attacked one last time, shattering it to dust.

“You shouldn’t have killed my cat.” Caleb murdered, a strange emptiness in his voice as he stared at the ground.

“He… he’s actually dead.” Valyria leaned against the table as she stood, staring wide-eyed at the pile of ash. Keg fell to her knees, a soft sob escaping her lips.

They all stood there, taking in the fading adrenaline of the battle. Valyria glanced around, unable to fully register that it was over. The demon that kidnapped, tortured, and locked her up was lying on the ground, nothing but ash underneath her bare feet. She couldn’t believe it.

Beau rushed over to one of the cells, leaning her head in to peer between the bars. 

“Oh my god, Yasha!” Everyone turned their full attention to that cell. The wizard, goblin, and dwarf all rushing over. Cadesues was at the other cage, peering inside. Valyria wanted to look as well, but she was so tired. She just sat against the wall, panting as she watched people begin to shuffle out. Three people in particular stood out. 

There was a giant, foreboding woman with black hair that faded into white. She was unconscious, and needed both Cadesues and Beau to lift off the ground. The other two were awake. Haggard, and worn, but awake. There was a half-orc, with bright green skin and black hair, followed by a blue-skinned tiefling with little bells on her horns. Despite the circumstances she was bubbling with conversation, and hugging Nott. It was obvious these three were the friends Caleb mentioned. A small smile crept over her lips.

There were other prisoners too. They stood against the wall, glancing around with uncertainty. None were as impressive as the previous three. Farmers, elderly, even a small child to her dismay. He was even younger than her...

The adventurers started talking to them, but Valyria was drowning it out, her head lolling to the side. They danger was gone, they had won. She didn’t have to stay awake anymore. So why fight it? Caduceus approached, making her head perk up. Right, she couldn’t relax just yet. She forced herself to stand

“Hey, are you ok?” He asked, hand reaching out reflexively as she stumbled against the table. She nodded, fighting against the wobbling in her knees. 

“That was quite an impressive thing you did back there, saving those two and myself.” She tensed a little at the mention of her magic, glancing up and trying to read his expression. There was no predatory hunger, no exploitative calculations. It was simply kind. Her body relaxed without her realizing it.

“Thanks I….I guess it was a good thing.” She admitted, flexing her fingers.

“Were you always able to…do things like that?” She shook her head, then winced. Suddenly dizzy.

“Mhm, no I...I’ve just discovered it recently, actually.” She mumbled. The ringing was coming back. 

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Caduceus started to worry, noticing her nodding off. 

“Yeah yeah, I’ll...I’ll be fine. Just need to close my eyes…for a, minute...”

Days of being unable to sleep due to the anxiety, the torture, and the recent ordeal coupled with a lack of water and food, finally took its toll. Valyria stumbled, the last thing she remembered was being caught in a pair of large, warm arms, and the relief that it was finally over…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 11/30/20: Ok, so a couple changes: Valyria's no longer from an orphanage is is straight up from the streets. Yay second-guessing ideas!
> 
> 1/1/21: So...I may or may not have written actual stats for the spells Valyria uses 😅 Whenever something new pops up I’ll drop it here, and please—feel free to use(and adjust) these ideas for your own campaigns! (Also your critics would be appreciated)
> 
> Reverse Attack(used at the end of the chapter):   
> 4th Level Evocation  
> Casting Time: 1 Reaction  
> Range: 40 ft  
> Components: V, S  
> Duration: Instantaneous  
>  A reaction that can reverse an attack and its effects, basically counterspell for after the attack hits—magical and non-magical. The dc for this spell to work requires the enemy to make a strength saving throw. If they fail their action is reversed but still spent, thus nullifying any attack they made. If they succeed their attack deals full damage.  
> (Adjusted to 25+once reached high enough level so the spell’s not totally useless)


	3. What Now Kid?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Valyria learns more about her rescuers and questions begin to fester. The biggest one being--what will she do with her newfound freedom after learning why she was taken?
> 
> TRIGGER WARNINGS:  
> —Torture Flashbacks  
> —Loss of a Loved One (long may be reign 😭)  
> —Feels  
> —Mild Language  
> —Mention of Torture  
> —Mention of Kidnapping  
> —SPOILERS(duh)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *frantically rushes to get a chapter out in three hours  
> “I’M NOT LATE!!!!!!”
> 
> For real though this is probably the last chapter I post until next Friday—I wanna make sure I’m posting that ~quality* content for you.

“Oh my gods is she ok? Do you need me to heal her?” Jester asked, seeing a tiny girl collapse against a startlingly tall, pink-haired firbolg. The firbolg frowned, looking over and pausing for a second before saying,

”She’s exhausted, but I think she’ll be alright.” 

“Are you sure?” Jester frowned, dubious about this stranger’s healing know-how.

“Oh! This is Cadeus, he came with us to help out and stuff.” Beau quickly explained. “I’m sure he knows what he’s talking about.”

“Hello.” Caduceus smiled, lifting the girl up, alarmingly without any effort, and approached the group.

“We met him this morning!” Nott added. Beau made a face, sighing,

“It’s….been an interesting twenty-four hours.”

“I’m here to help.” Caduceus said, smiling down at the uncertain blue tiefling. “I made a deal with this one, it’s okay.”

“I like your hair.” Jester said slowly, instantly switching from dubois to extremely friendly. Shakasta shifted, drawing everyone’s attention to him as he clapped his hands together.

“Well then, I think it’s time I take my leave. I’ll escort everyone out and to safety.” He raised an eyebrow at the girl, then said,

“Are you sure she’ll be alright? Looks a little on the edge of death there if you don’t mind me sayin’.” Caduceus nodded even as he finished his sentence.

“She’s fully healed but extremely malnourished, nothing a couple good meals can’t fix.” He adjusted her in his arms. Even as he said this he was only half convinced, the child was so frail. It was easy enough healing the open wounds on her back, even if the delayed healing resulted in some scars, but there weren’t any spells that could restore a starved body. He’d have to keep a close eye on her to make sure she doesn’t fall ill or worse. Still, he spoke with reassurance, “Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”

“And I’m sure you do.” Shakasta nodded, clearing his throat. “It was good seeing all of you again, and a pleasure meeting you. I only wish it were under better circumstances.”

“As to you.” Cadesues agreed, firmly shaking Shakasta’s hand before he walked away, leading the other prisoners out of the dungeon. 

“You wanna…get up out of this thing?” Caduceus suggested after a moment’s pause.

“Where’s Molly?” Jester blurted. At once a dead silence hung over them, an oppressive curtain holding the weight of a terrible truth that needed to be heard. It took a moment before the pieces finally clicked.

“Oh uh, your friend.” He stated bluntly. 

Reluctantly, the trio explained the loss of their mutual friend. Caduceus watched at a distance, familiar with the signs of grief washing over the small group. Jester—as he quickly learned—was standing there, tears streaming down her cheeks. Meanwhile, Fjord tried to remain stoic but that composure quickly shattered into anger. Caleb, Nott, and Beau tried to hide their grief, but it was evident. 

The conversation dissolved into Jester and Fjord describing their unfortunate residency within the stronghold, and when it finally ended the heavy silence returned. Caduceus wanted to help, so after a pregnant pause he spoke up,

“I mean, this is pretty good from ah—a certain perspective.” They turned to look at him with varying degrees of indignation. “I mean, if you think about it. Bad things happen to people every day….and….then you have a bunch of people that care about you so much that they come in and save you, fix it, defeat a great evil. I mean... nothing this good ever happens. This is great.” Clearly they didn’t agree. He shifted, knowing when his presence wasn’t needed.

“I’m going to go check upstairs. I think you guys have a lot to talk about.” He left, and moments later heard the loud footsteps of Keg following up the stairs. 

They scoured the area for a while, but there was nothing of note to be found. He did find a kitchen, which was nice. He quickly made a bed of moss in a corner for Valyria to sleep on, then set to making something.

. . . . . 

The smell of something rich savory stirred Valyria from an otherwise dreamless sleep. A painful grow quickly followed, forcing her awake. She was used to her stomach hurting, a constant dull ache just as familiar as breathing was. So, rather than getting up she simply inhaled again, enjoying the sensation while stretching her hands forward. 

The ground was soft, springy. Her fingers curled around it, digging into what felt like moss. She lifted her head, and blinked. It...was moss. Purplish, flowering moss that carpeted her corner of the room. Her hand rubbed through it, savoring the deliciously soft texture. So much better than the cold cobblestone of her cell.

“Ah, you’re awake.” She tensed at the voice, head darting up to meet with Caduceus. She relaxed, slightly. Her eyes quickly scanned the room, finding the door immediately adjacent to her left, then a table with four chairs, and a couple counters with a brick oven. There was a giant pot hanging over it, housing the source of the smell. Her eyes lingered on it a bit too long, before she swallowed.

“Uh...hi.” She started, slowly sitting up. A yawn escaped her then. She tried to stretch, only for a loud crack to tear through her back. She winced. Clearly her body wasn’t used to much movement.

“Um, how...long was I asleep?” She started slowly, anxious to fill the quiet hanging in the air.

“Only an hour or so.” Mr. Clay explained, getting up and approaching the teapot. The sudden movement made her freeze, but she tried to make herself relax. He wasn’t going to hurt her.

“Everyone else is currently exploring, so I figured I’d stay here and make something.” After pouring a mug, he turned his attention to the pot. He opened the lid, the smell making Valyria drool unconsciously. “You can go ahead and sit down, I’ll make us some bowls—uh, if you can stand.” He stopped then, looking concerned before she stubbornly lifted herself with the aid of the wall. Her legs trembled, but through sheer stubbornness she managed to stumble over and slump into a chair. Caduceus nodded, then went to pour the bowls.

The twisting gnawing in her stomach grew stronger, harder to ignore knowing she’d actually have food soon. She swallowed it down, instead focusing on the grains of wood etched into the table. After what felt like an eternity, Caduceus set down a wooden bowl and a spoon, quickly followed by a mug of tea. 

Inside the bowl were steaming hot tubers floating in a clear broth, with flakes of mushrooms sprinkled on top. There were heavy spices, filling the air with that rich aroma, though she had no idea what was inside. 

“Be careful, it’s very hot.” He warned, setting his own bowl in front of him. She nodded, already bringing the spoon halfway to her mouth.

One bite and she was already burning the roof of her mouth. Instinctually her mouth opened, but she forced it closed and made herself chew it. Slowly. Guardedly. This was the first time she had food in days, by gods she was not going to waste it.

A satisfied sigh escaped her mouth as she finally swallowed. She took another, this time sipping at the broth. With more time to focus on the taste she noticed the earthy, and mildly hot undertones. Full of warmth that seeped deeply in her throat. Absentmindedly she thought back to the stew Misses Brightly would sometimes make.

It all came rushing back. Being sold from the orphanage. Lorenzo. The weeks being locked in that room. The hunger. The fight. She sucked in a shaky breath, eyes watering. Robotically lowering the spoon, she curled her hands into fists, taking a few steady, deep breaths. She didn’t want to cry, she wasn’t going to cry—

Caduceus’s hand reached over and gently brushed her back. Her breath hitched. It was heavy, but the weight was comforting. Reassuring. Something she never had the luxury to experience.

“It’s ok, you’ve been through a terrible ordeal. Just let it all out.” He encouraged. She broke.

Softly at first, with hands clenched at her sides she cried. Then it dissolved into incoherent sniffling and hiccuping sobs. She snagged some of her dignity by at least keeping it quiet, for the most part. In her head she kept spinning in circles, berating herself for falling so easily into the Shepard’s trap and for her inability to be strong about it.

“—I just—how could I’ve been so _stupid_?” She slipped, shame burning on her face. 

Caduceus said nothing, occasionally rubbing her back and looking down at her with a carefully patient expression. It took her a few more minutes, but her sobbing finally dwindled down into silence. 

She sniffed, rubbing at her face with a dirty sleeve. 

“M’sorry…” She mumbled. The misery was gone, leaving nothing but an echoing shame. 

“There’s nothing to be sorry for.” Caduceus said, but it only made her shoulders tense further. He’d already done so much for her, why’d she have to break down like that? Stupid, stupid child.

“And for the record,” he added, “you aren’t stupid. These people have clearly been doing this for a while and it took all six of us to bring them down. You wouldn’t call the other people they kidnapped stupid, would you?” 

She shook her head, figuring out what he was trying to say. It still didn’t make her feel better.

“Do you want to talk about it?” He offered, sensing her distress. She shook her head again. It was too much. Too...raw. Even the events a short hour ago felt too surreal, and the last thing she wanted was to cry again.

Thankfully Caduceus didn’t push. He pulled his hand away, giving her the space she needed. He turned to his bowl of stew.

“Alright, finish eating. You’ll feel better afterwards, I promise.” He said. She nodded meekly, obediently lifting her spoon and taking another bite. It had cooled off by now, saltier too. She rubbed at her face again.

. . . . . 

Meanwhile the others were scouring the stronghold. They found a pile of receipts, quickly connecting it to House Jagentoths who were the patrons of the Iron Shepherds. Bea was eager to use it to bring the house down, only for Fjord to remind her the city had no law to begin with.

“Oh, well, can still be useful for something down the road.” she said, stuffing a handful into her pockets.

“Hold on, let me see that one real quick.” Caleb said, one of the letters catching his eye. Beau paused, raising an eyebrow as she handed the letter over to him. 

It had no seal, but the paper he could easily recognize as of good quality. Unfolding it, he took to reading it, completely unprepared for the sprawl inside: 

“You did well finding the goods, we have received a multitude of interested parties almost immediately. After some careful consideration we’ve settled upon a client who has laid a generous down payment. Unfortunately, our client will be unable to retrieve the package until the end of next month. Upon purchase however, the client added an additional list of instructions which are as follows: 

-Do not starve, break, or otherwise damage the body—even temporarily. Payment will be severely doct if this instruction is ignored.

-Punishments administered if necessary may allow the use of hot irons, but nothing else. 

-Keep them isolated and in a dark, enclosed space. Minimize any human interaction———“

_—Bren had messed up. Failing again to cast a spell under Trent’s supervision and his patience snapped. Trent was now dragging him down the stairs by the hair, yanking open the iron door on the other side of the basement. There were no windows, no keyhole, no slot to allow any light to shine through._

_Without hesitation Trent threw him inside. Bren’s head hit the ground. Stars swirled over his vision as he pulled away from the cold floor, looking up into those yellow, uncaring eyes._

_“Maybe some time to think will do you good. I sincerely hope you’ll get it right by the time I let you out.” He said coldly, slowly letting the door close. His heart sank._

_“No, no please—!” The door slammed shut, leaving him in darkness._

“Caleb? Are you ok?” Jester’s voice cut through the memory. His hand was clenched, crumpling the note. Caleb covered his mouth, closing his eyes as he shook the memory away. 

“Uh, ya! Ya, I’m fine...” the others weren’t convinced, Beau raised a brow at him with her arms crossed. He cleared his throat, trying to keep the shaking in his hands from being noticeable as he glanced in her direction. 

“I uh, think everyone should read this…” He said after a moment's hesitation, handing it over to her.

Her eyes quickly scanned the missive, growing hard as they continued down. She handed it to Fjord, who swore after reading it. As he handed it to Jester he asked,

“You think that’s referring the the kid Caduceus was lookin’ after?”

“Who else could it be? We found her in a...fucking isolation cell.” Beau said sharply, shaking her head at the memory. “Couldn’t even follow their own boss’s instructions, mother-fuckers—” she had to stop herself from going on a tangent. 

“Do we have any idea who it’s from?” Jester finally asked, her voice solem.

“It’s with all those receipts, we can only assume it’s from the Jagentoths.” Fjord said.

“But they’re not the one who wanted her specifically. It said the instructions were made by their client.” Jester pointed out.

Caleb had a sneaking suspicion, but quickly dismissed it. It was too out of character for someone like Trent. He wouldn’t trust someone else to groom a ‘student’ of his. He paused for a moment, then shook his head. 

“We just ask who when she wakes up, simple as that.” He said.

. . . . . 

About halfway through her meal, the other adults returned. There was a somber air hovering around them, thick and heavy with remorse. Did something happen? She scanned over the group. It didn’t seem like anyone was missing, though Caleb looked a little worse for wear. 

Their eyes met again, and this time he stared at her quizzically, a frown on his face. She shifted uncomfortably, unsure of what he was trying to find. She averted her gaze.

Caduceus sat up straighter, his ears perking up as he gestured to the boiling pot. 

“I made some food and some tea, feel free to help yourselves.” He smiled at them. 

“Uh, thanks.” The half-orc said awkwardly, glancing at the odd pair.

“Oh, hi! Nice to see you’re awake!” Came a loud, boisterous voice. Valyria jumped back as the blue tiefling girl barreled into view, a wide smile on her face.

“Uh, nice to meet you too.” She said. Not knowing what else to do, she offered her hand. The tiefling shook it, still grinning.

“Hi, I’m Jester! What is your name?”

“Uh, Valyria.” She wobbled a bit—Jester was uncannily strong for how small she was.

“That’s such a pretty name.” Jester beamed, sounding 100% genuine. Jester’s eye caught the half-orc sitting down, starring dubiously at a bowl of tubers.

“By the way, this is Fjooooord.” She pushed his shoulder, prompting him to look up and give an awkward half wave.

“Hi.” He said.

“Uh, hello.”

“And that’s Nott, Caleb, Beau—oh! I guess you already knew that!” She laughed, sitting on the other side of Valyria, practically radiating pure extrovertism.

Everyone eventually sat down. Some got food, others didn’t. The table was quickly cramped with bowls and mugs, as well as a giant bag taking the center space. Valyria raised an eyebrow, staring distrustfully at the dark red stain near the opening.

“Uh, where’d you find that?” She poked the thing with the end of her spoon.

“Lorenzo’s room.” Jester said without skipping a beat. Valyria visibly winced.

“Ah, I see.” She pulled the spoon away, staring at it like it was venomous.

“So Caleb! What do your wizard eyes see?” Nott said, poking at the wizard to examine the dear-skin bag. 

He looked like he was going to say something, but changed his mind at Nott’s prompting. He frowned a little, waving a hand over the item in question and murmuring a string of words.

Valyria’s ears perked in interest. She’d never got to see much magic—at least not in a safe setting. It fascinated her to no end, more so now than ever, even after experiencing the more harmful side. She took mental notes on the gestures he made and the way his eyes were glowing a sky blue. Her magic...was kind of like that. Admittedly there weren’t any words involved, but still. The glowing eyes bit was there at least.

About ten minutes later the wizard was finished, eyes returning to their normal icy-blue hue. He hummed, lifting the bag with a finger before explaining,

“This is a bottomless bag.”

“Different from ours?” Nott asked.

“It can hold a lot.”

“More than mine?” With that Jester heaved an assultingly pink backpack onto the table. There were little unicorns and hamsters doodled all over the front, and what looked like flecks of glitter coating the shoulder straps. Valyria raised an eyebrow.

“Does anyone want it?” Caleb asked after a second.

“Why don’t I hold onto it?” Fjord offered, taking it from Caleb and inspecting it curiously. After a second of fiddling around, he reached a hand inside and pulled.

Inverting the bag released a current of stuff. It exploded onto the table. A shower of platinum coins, four sets of manicels, two dozen teeth, a meat hook, a coin-sized redgem, and a sealed envelope. Valyria’s eyes went wide, tossing away the teeth that fell into her lap. Nott and Jester flipped, 

“How’d you do that?”

“What is that?”

“What was it?”

Fjord kept his cool, calmly looking at everyone before saying with utter seriousness,

“Yeah, I have...deep arcane ability.”

Valyria snorted, eyes sparkling as Fjord held up his hands in a joking manner. He seemed to brighten at that, cracking her a quick grin that showed chipped tusks.

“OooOooh, there’s another letter in here!” Jester said, taking a deep breath of the parchment before humming, “It smells like home…”

Without hesitation she broke the seal, then paused. Her expression tensed as she shared a knowing look among the other adults, before slowly opening and started scanning the contents. Valyria craned her neck, trying to catch a glimpse but it was difficult the way Jester was sitting. After too long a pause Jester sighed with relief.

“Ok, so here’s what it says…”

The general gist of it was a request for someone—probably the Iron Shepherds—to hunt down an artifact. Although she didn’t recognize any of the names involved, she found the letter rather interesting. However, as Jester read it Valyria noticed two things among the table:

One: Caleb was growing agitated, seemingly with something else on his mind. Occasionally glancing at her, until finally leaving the room, muttering to himself. She kept her eye out on him, walking in circles at the edge of the room. Was he casting another spell?

Two: Clearly something about the letter was unsettling Fjord. He had gone still, brows furrowed. Slowly, he asked for Jester to hold up the letter, which she did. Displaying it for everyone to see. 

Valyria had to crane her neck again, this time seeing a drawing of a round orb on the bottom of the page. There was a narrow slit down the center, making it look like an eye. She glanced back at Fjord.

“Doesn’t that look familiar?” He said, slightly strained.

“Do you recognize it?” Jester tilted her head, looking back at the drawing.

“Doesn’t everybody?” He turned to the table. Valyria blinked.

Nott stared dumbly at him, before the dots clicked and she exclaimed,

“Oh yes! Yes we saw one of these!” Valyria raised an eyebrow. Ok, what—

“It’s in your belly!!!”

Uh, what? She did a double take, reeling back as recognition beamed on Jester and Beau.

“Is that what's in your belly?” Jester gasped. Before she could say anything Caleb reappeared, shouting,

“Excuse me just a moment! I’m sorry uh, does anyone have a glass bead?” They stared at him.

“Uh,” she said smartly.

“Just a glass bead—cheap. Doesn’t matter!”

After some confused mumbling, Jester pulled off one of her many rings, handing it over to the wizard. He inspected it, before yanking off the pearl and tossing the metal band over his shoulder.

“Ah! Caleb!” She chided as the wizard scampered off into the other room, muttering to himself.

“Ok, where was that? Was that in a tree?” Nott said, dragging Valyria further down into the confusing spiral.

“No, no under it.”

“Ok, it was under the tree.”

“And the fish people were worshipping it!”

“Uh, I’m sorry what?” Valyria finally exploded. All eyes turned to her. She coughed, pulling her hand down and feeling embarrassment flush over her face.

“I-I’m sorry...kind of lost here—what? Fish people, trees? J-just to be clear you...ate a gem?” She gestured to Fjord.

“No, no I did not eat a gemstone.” Fjord rolled his eyes. Clearly this was a recurring topic. 

With a flourish of his hand, a bluish mist curled around his fingers and suddenly a barnacle-encrusted falchion appeared. He shifted his grip, turning the hilt so she could see the glowing yellow eye resting within the center. The resemblance to the drawing was unmistakable. Her eyebrows shot up.

“Wow, that’s amazing!” She nodded appreciatively, leaning over the table to get a better look. There was actual water dripping off the curved blade, seeping into the tablewood.

“Thanks.” He muttered, waving his hand and unsummoning the blade.

“So we fought a couple of fish people a while back,” Nott explained, drawing her attention,

“Marrow.” Jester corrected.

“Marrow,” she continued without skipping a beat, “and the marrow stole the gemstone from somebody here.”

“Aaaand now it's with you.” Valyria finished. Fjord nodded. She pursed her lips, tapping her fingers together.

“Yes I have it, but I do not have access to it.” He clarified. Jester started poking at his stomach, teasing about trying to feel it. He gently pushed her hand away, firmly telling her to stop but she could hear the affection in her voice.

Valyria paused, sensing Fjord was withholding part of the bigger picture. She went to ask how he could summon the swords in the first place when a loud ‘fwhomp’ cut her off—followed by Caleb shouting. Her head shot around, latching onto a glowing orange bubble taking up the entryway.

Caleb’s head shot out from the top and he exclaimed,

“Hey look what I made!” Before disappearing back inside.

Nott was the first to get up, followed by Jester and an excited, but stumbling Valyria. She had more strength in her legs now that she had been able to stretch a little, but she still had the well-balance of a newborn deer.

“What is it?” Valyria asked excitedly, a little out of breath as she poked at the shimmering surface. Her finger slid straight though, a faint tingling dancing over her skin as it phased through the orange light. She pulled it back, grinning.

“Caleb! Can you hear through it?” Jester asked.

“Yaaa!” He shouted from inside the bubble. 

“Can we go into it?”

“Yaaa only you!”

That was all she needed. Valyria plugged her nose before jumping inside, her body shivering through the spell. She wobbled, then opened her eyes and peered around the space.

Caleb was standing in the center, looking very proud of himself, and for the first time since she’d met him was actually smiling. She grinned right back, spinning around to see the rest of the room through a shimmering haze.

“They can’t see us, can they?” She breathed, more to herself than to the wizard, waving at the dubious looking group. She backed away, allowing Jester to step inside, followed by Nott.

“Hello.” Caleb said to the two.

“Hi!” Nott beamed back.

“This is so cool!” Jester beamed, spinning around. “You need some pillows or something!”

“Is everything ok in there?” Fjord shouted from the other side.

“Yaaaa, uh—“

“Oh gooood!” Nott interrupted overdramatically. “We’re dyyyying in heeeere.” Valyria ignored her hijinks, turning to Caleb with excitement.

“This is incredible—h-how did you do this? Was it like—a ritual or did you use some kind of scroll?” Caleb nodded.

“Ritual, ya. I’ve been working on this, for weeks.” He grinned, the smile actually reaching his eyes. “We can travel through freely—well, you can, I have to stay in here—but everyone else can. Oh, and magic can’t pass through either.” Her eyes lit up.

“Woooooow, that’s so cool!” She spun around again, giggling at the shimmering bubble. She didn’t notice the flash of pity across his face, as he watched her excitement continue to grow.

Fjord was standing right in front of her, trying to see through the spell as he reached his hand out. It phased through, almost touching her face.

“Entschuldigung.” Caleb whispered, prompting Valyria to step aside as he grabbed Fjord’s hand and yanked him inside. He screamed, stumbling and waving his hand out. He stopped, lips pressed tightly together as he tried to salvage his pride,

“Cool…”

Valyria was clutching at her mouth, kneeling over with laughter. She wheezed, wiping at her face before sticking her head out, waving the others to come inside.

Caduceus entered, glancing around with a small nod.

“Oh this is nice.” He nodded, as Beau followed suit. Valyria stood to go out, planning to get more pillows and maybe a couple blankets before she tripped.

“Ah, so this is how I die.” With much grace and elegance she face-planted on the floor.

“Gughhhh…” She groaned, her upper half leaning out of the bubble.

“You ok?” Jester asked. 

“Mhmm!” She threw a thumbs up before flopping her hand back on the floor. If her legs would actually start working for once it’d be even better. 

As she started to sit back up she caught wind of movement. Her head jerked in the direction of the door, finding Keg.

“Uh, where did everyone go?”

She shimmied out of the rest of the bubble, waving to get her attention. 

“Hey Keg! Caleb did a thing, it’s really cool!” She beamed, quickly scuttling back into the bubble. Keg narrowed her brow before sticking her head inside, glancing around with a small ‘huh’. Valyria grinned, then tried to stand back up. Caduceus steadied her with a hand, and she nodded in thanks. 

. . . . 

A little while later they were all settling down with their assorted bedspreads. Vlayria was currently burying herself in a nest of blankets. The fabric was scratchy and smelled, but it was a million times better than nothing. Valyria hummed to herself, adjusting so her arms and upper torso were sticking out. 

“So Valyria! Tell us a bit about yourself!” Jester said abruptly. Eyeing the tiefling cautiously, she said,

“What do you wanna know? That’s a little open-ended.” Jester’s eyes twinkled with mischief.

“Oh you knoooow, where’re you from, what’re your favorite foods, oh! Have you ever been to the Menagerie Coast?” She said.

“Uh,” Valyria hesitated.

“Here, I’ll start.” Jester shifted, wrapping herself in a similar manner and lying on her stomach, chin resting in her hands.

“I’m from the Menagerie Coast—if you couldn’t guess—I like pastries, aaaand I draw. Also I paint. And play piano. Aaaaaaaand I can do magic.” A mischievous smirk stretched across her face as she eyed Nott. “Watch this.”

Reaching over to the goblin while her back was turned, she drew a sydgal with her fingers. A whitish light appeared, and all of a sudden Nott’s entire cloak was glowing like a candle. 

“Waaah! Get it off meeee!” Nott squealed, rolling on the ground and clawing at her back dramatically. “Augh it burns!” Jester canceled the spell, laughing her head off. Valyria grinned.

“So~? What about you~?” Jester asked in a sing-song voice.

Valyria turned to her, eyes bright, but she caught a glint in Jester’s eye that made her hesitate. She was staring her down too intently. Sharp, focused, ready to dissect. Far too focused than she was presenting herself as. A cold feeling sank into Valyria’s gut, instincts to be cautious on high alert.

“Well,” she started, “I-I like sticky buns….Personally. I’ve never been to the Menagerie Coast, aaaand...I know how to play the lute.” She was careful to leave out any descriptions of her magic.

“Can you do any magiiiiic?” Shit.

“You, saw the fight, right?” Beau interjected, raising an eyebrow at Jester.

“Well duh! Wasn’t like I could do anything else.” She rolled her eyes.

“It was weird!” Nott exclaimed, making her jump. “One second ice was everywhere then it all went in reverse!”

“Wait, that was you?” Jester exploded, leaning into Valyria’s personal space with stars in her eyes at Valyria. She jumped, taken aback.

“I—u-uh, yes?” She spluttered. Jester’s face should have broken by how big that smile was. 

“Oh my gods! That is so—cool! I thought that was Caleb for a second there!” The wizard in question was shaking his head, a quizzical look on his face, not looking up from his book.

“Iiii’ve studied a lot of magic, but what she did—what you did.” He shifted his attention to her, making her stomach drop, “I’ve never seen anything like it.” There was a strained undertone in his voice, an intensity that put her on edge. 

“I uh…th-thanks.” She was starting to feel cornered. Too many eyes on her. Too many people trying to read into her. Too many questions. She tightened the blankets around herself, as if it could protect her. What were they trying to figure out?

“So can you like—time travel or something like that?” Jester continued. At that Caleb’s eyes flared with curiosity, and his stare turned intense. Her pulse quickened. It was a familiar gaze, not a comforting one. 

“I...I-I don’t know! I’ve never tried, I mean—” she frowned, avoiding meeting his eyes, “I just learned I could do this...not even a month ago! I-I might if I somehow don’t die trying to find out but—it feels dangerous. You know? It’s like...” 

She struggled to explain the sensation, the twisting pressure in her chest whenever she used her magic. The sudden weightlessness, like she was being tugged somewhere. The sound of the world going still, her mind clearing as her thoughts went faster and slower—shrinking and expanding—shifting into microscopic focus and at the same time blurring out...all in a crystallized moment before she was shoved back into reality. She couldn’t. Not really. 

“There’s a limit.” She decided. “If I try going too far, the pressure in my chest gets really, really tight and I’m afraid to snap it. So...I don’t really think it’s a good idea to experiment with time travel, a-at least for now. O-or ever.”

There was a disappointed sigh that came from Caleb. No one else noticed it except her, but it was surprising. She was wholly expecting him to push for more details, or insist she experimented anyway. Maybe that would come later, if he ever caught her by herself. She made a mental note to avoid that from happening.

“I know this might be ah uh, touchy subject. But do you have...folks to get back to?” Fjord asked, turning the conversation. Valyria released a hesitant chuckle, rubbing her wrist.

“Uh, I...no. No folks.” She said quickly, avoiding their gaze. 

“Care to elaborate?” Beau prodded.

“Nope!” She said with an empty smile, hugging the blankets and staring blankly into Beau’s face. Not flinching, even as the woman’s face scrunched up into a frown.

“You uh, don’t happen to’ be run into trouble back where you lived, did you?” She continued. Valyria frowned.

“No? I live in Nogvurot. Not really anyone to get in trouble with except a patrol officer.” 

“Nogvurot? That’s not too far from here.” Caleb commented. Valyria blinked. She assumed they weren’t near the city, but now that he mentioned it, she had no clue where they were. That wasn’t helping her nerves.

“Where...are we then?” She asked cautiously.

The adults glanced at each other worriedly. Her shoulders tensed.

“What? You know being vague about it’s not helping.” She couldn’t stop the small shrill in her voice. Fjord glanced at her.

“We’re uh, close to Shadycreek Run.” He explained. She frowned, trying to recall where that was. 

Her chest tightened when the pieces clicked. Shadycreek Run...that was a place of murderers, mercenaries. Some of the most notorious names were lurking there. Not for the first time her mind went back to a conversation between her and Ruzza. Back from before...it was getting hard to breath.

“I don’t know if this’ll help but, we found...” Caleb started, drawing her attention to him as he cleared his throat, “We found a note. It was about you.” He said, almost accusingly. He glanced at Beau, who pulled out an unsealed letter with a wax seal and platinum piece pressed into it. 

Her eyebrows shot up. About her? Who’d know anything about her? She squinted at it.

“I don’t recognize it, if that’s what you're asking.” She said, sitting upright.

“Well then, do you know the House Jagentoths? Have you crossed anyone of power within the empire? Where and who did you learn your magic from?” Caleb pressed, leaning forward intently. 

“Caleb, maybe backpedal just a little bit.” Fjord warned, noticing her tensing shoulders. Caleb stopped, pursing his lips, clearly wanting to continue. Valyria was shaking her head, on the edge of hysteria.

“No, no, and no—I’ve lived on the streets my whole life!” _Fuck_! “I don’t even know the names of anyone important!” She glanced at the note. “Let me see that.” She reached out, not bothering to ask nicely. Beau didn’t pull away, letting her snatch the note. 

She read it furiously, confused at first, then she froze. Her vision tunneled, and she just...stared.

“Um, kid?” Someone asked, but she barely heard it.

This...this was some kind of a joke, right? Right? There was an auction for her? It was impossible to grasp, the thought that anyone could find any value in buying her. Then it dawned. Her magic. Of course. _Of course_ it was her magic! Why would it be anything else?

“That’s...that’s just great! Fantastic, even.” She laughed, shaking her head as her eyes started to sting. Her breath came in shaky gasps, her throat tightening.

“Kid, are you…?” Fjord started uncertainty, looking at her like she was crazy. 

A tratorous thought crossed her mind then, and she grinned at the sheer insanity of it. Maybe she was going crazy. But what the hell? They already knew the damning parts of her life, might as well share the rest.

She took a deep breath and sighed, the empty mirth gone. Valyria was still shaking, staring down at the note. The edges were growing crinkled in her hands. She forced her hand to relax.

“I…” she trailed off, realizing she had no idea where to start. Taking in a shaky breath, she held up the letter and concentrated. 

A small vibrating sensation bubbled within her chest. Her vision grew funny for a second, followed by a release from her core. A distortion traveled through her fingers, only this time, instead of a ripple in reality the space around the note shattered into glass. It fused back a second later with a soft ‘shwoop!’. 

Her ears rang a little and she winced. After the static cleared she released the note. It stayed there. She tried to push it, but it didn’t budge. Everyone stared in curiosity, and she averted her gaze, hugging her knees to her chest.

“I learned about...that a month—two months ago. No one...taught me it just...happens. Like instinct.” She pulled her knees in closer. She took a breath,

“I don’t—I never had anyone teach me anything. No mom, no dad. Nobody. And nobody wanted to look after me so I’ve always been on my own.” Her expression soured.

“When this happened I kept it to myself, at first. Then I met someone who happened to be doing some kind of job there and I...let my guard down.” Her voice trailed off.

“Was it...the one called Ruzza?” Caduceus asked, making her flinch. “You two, seemed to share a history.” She nodded.

“Yeah um, she took a great interest in me. Said she could teach me how to be a bard and I’d get to ‘travel the world and stuff’.” Her shoulders hunched further and she shook her head. “I was stupid. Turns out she only took interest in that,” she pointed at the letter without looking up, “and once I let my guard down completely she and Lorenzo jumped me in an alley and...and that’s how I ended up here.”

She smiled a little, waving her hands half-heartedly.

“So yeah, no clue how this works, no idea who’d be after me, aaaaaand the only people I knew personally are currently splayed out on the floor upstairs. Does that answer your questions?” 

She didn’t mean to sound bitter, but she was tired. The whole time she was talking she didn’t risk looking at anyone, but now she raised her head and winced. The others were quiet. Too quiet. All of them looking at her like some starved, eviscerated puppy. She shuddered. She didn’t like the way that felt. Like she was something that needed to be pitied. Caleb at least, had the decency to look a little ashamed and not just sorry for her. 

“I-I am sorry…” he started, but Valyria quickly shook her head.

“Th-thanks but...it’s honestly fine. It’s not like you guys did anything to cause it.” 

_And you rescued me._ She wanted to add, but she lost the motivation to keep talking.

“So, do you plan on going back there?” Beau asked. She shook her head. That was the last place she was seen, so if any other ‘clients’ caught wind she escaped it’d be the first place to look.

“Well…” Jester said slowly, “If you don’t have anywhere else to go...why don’t you come just with us?” Jester offered. That...what?

Valyria stared at Jester, her mouth falling open, not certain she heard her correctly. 

“Jester...“ Beau started warningly.

“Whaaat? Why not?” Jester protested. “At least until we get somewhere safe.”

“Well what if there isn’t anywhere safe? What then?” Caleb questioned.

“Well uh, I’m pretty sure our friends in Hupperdook can keep her safe. They’re already looking after Kiri.” Beau offered. Valyria glanced between them, not sold on the idea of being passed off to a complete stranger—based on their word or not. 

But they offered to let her go with them, that was also a red flag—right? Ruzza had done the same exact thing, and look where that landed her. But...no. These people, these heros were different. They saved her, saved everyone in this place! There was no way they’d just pawn her off to someone else, right? Right? Maybe it’d be better to just go on her own.

She looked at her hands. Thin, bruised, barely wider than a stick. She had always been on the scrawny side, sure, but now she could barely stand under her own weight. What could she do now by herself? The thought of getting caught by someone else creeped in and she froze. She couldn’t go back to being on her own again, she just couldn’t!

“That, sounds lovely but…” she hesitated. Would it be worth risking? These people already did so much, they owed her nothing. Still, she was on a ledge and had to take a leap of faith. She took in a breath.

I mean, if it’s ok…” she started slowly, trying to anticipate everyone’s reaction, “maybe...I could travel with you, for a little bit? A-at least until I find somewhere I know for a fact no one’ll go looking, or they just give up completely.” 

A pause. Her nerves kept her going.

“I-I mean it’s totally fine if you don’t want to! Y-you can just drop me off in Shadycreek Run a-and I’ll go off and find someplace I guess, or—“

“Why go on your own if we have someone who can look after you?” Fjord interrupted, looking dubious. He wasn’t the only one. Beau was leaning back, arms crossed and a sour look on her face. Clearly she didn’t like her. She risked a glance at Caleb, and that piercing gaze was there to greet her. She bit her lip.

“Well...there’s this.” She tapped the still frozen note, deciding she might as well voice her reasons. “M-maybe they’ll stop looking, maybe they won't. Either way, it’s a little harder to track someone if they’re constantly moving, right?”

Nott gave Caleb a knowing glance, elbowing him slightly. Caleb bumped back dismissively, avoiding her wiggling eyebrow. Valyria frowned, looking at Caleb’s haggard appearance in a new light. Were they...also doing the same thing? After a tense breath, Fjord finally broke the silence.

“It’s ok, we don’t have to make any decisions right now.” He said, before holding back a yawn. “I think we’ve all had a very rough couple o’ days. Why don’t we just get some sleep and work on it in the morning?”

She...she could agree with that. Valyria nodded numbly, dispelling the magic and going back to her blanket cocoon, pulling the cloth up to her chin. As her body relaxed her mind continued to go full speed.

So, it was official. Her magic wasn’t normal. Yaaaaay. She knew it was from the start, but never the full extent of it. Was it really that abnormal that someone would hire these monsters to….condition her for something…even if out of a morbid curiosity? Caleb’s words rolled in her head, revealing just how deep of a predicament she was in. She shuddered, fearing how many people would want their hands on a...whatever the hell she was. 

Caduceus’s hand rested over her head, slowly petting it and jerking her from her thoughts. She glanced up, seeing him looking down at her, hand paused.

“Is this ok?” He asked.

The sensation was weird, but—oddly comforting. After a moment’s hesitation she nodded, pulling the blanket tighter around herself. She allowed herself to enjoy the sensation, having her head slowly patted, and she started to relax. It was nice. After a few more minutes it became relaxing and her eyes fluttered shut. 

. . . . . 

“Is she asleep?” Beau asked. Caduceus lifted his hand, softly nudged the kid’s shoulder. She groaned, eyes squeezing as she curled tighter into the blankets. He nodded.

“Ok, real talk,” she said, addressing the group. “We’re not actually taking this kid with us, right? We’re just saying that until we can dump her somewhere safe.”

“Why not?” Jester frowned, scooting over to the little tiefling. 

“You know what happened with Kiri?” Beau pointed out. Jester nodded fondly. “Like...it’s a fucking miracle she didn’t get eaten or something. And now we’re gonna go do a bunch of shit for the Gentleman. We just got rid of one kid, you sure we wanna drag another one into...whatever mess we’re getting into this time?”

“She’s made it pretty clear she’s stuck in some form of shit regardless.” Caleb pointed out. 

“But I’m just sayin, den of criminals. Not the best place to go when you’re hiding from a bunch of wanna-be kidnappers.”

“That is a little concerning.” Fjord solemnly agreed. Caduceus frowned.

“Uh, now I think I’m a little confused. Could you please explain the situation further?”

“We’re doing a favor for this guy,” Beau explained, “escort mission type stuff before all this shit broke out—I’m just saying.” She turned to everyone else. “It’s a little dicey.”

“Well, we just make sure she doesn’t go into the Evening Nip! Problem solved!” Jester stated matter-o-factory. 

“That’s still not the point!” Beau rubbed at her face.

“Then what is it?” Caleb asked. Beau sighed, her face tensing. For everyone who knew her, she actually looked a little vulnerable for once. 

“Look, I’m...worried, ok? I don’t—I don’t want to be responsible for some else dying—let alone a kid. It sucks man.”

“Then how about I take responsibility? I can keep her safe!” Jester offered. Fjord raised an eyebrow.

“She’s not some kind of pet Jester, this is serious. Are you willing to take responsibility if she gets hurt or worse?” Jester hesitated.

“W-well, I mean…”

“Look, the kid clearly doesn’t feel safe staying in one place,” Nott spoke up, “and in case you haven’t noticed, we’re badasses! We just took down Lorenzo and his entire crew!”

“And she can do some really cool stuff too! It’s not like she’s helpless.” Jester pointed out. 

“My point is,” Nott took a swig from her flask, “if it ever gets too dangerous, we’ll just leave her somewhere safe. Until then, I vote we let her travel with us until she wants to leave.”

“Or the earlier scenario happens.” Caleb added.

“Ok, fine. Whatever I guess…” Beau sighed, sinking back and crossing her arms. 

“If it makes you feel better,” Caduceus added, “I have younger siblings, so I know a little bit about younger kids.”

“Whatever.” Beau repeated with a shrug.

She glanced down at the kid, looking too fucking peaceful and innocent for the shithole they were squatting in. She’s no idiot—there’d be more situations like this and she knew the kid would be put in harm's way, traveling with them. This was a heavy gamble. She just hoped they wouldn’t regret it.

. . . . . 

The hell? Valyria had kept still throughout the entire discussion, and who could blame her? Too fresh in her mind was Ruzza’s betrayal, and the entire time she was with the group she had a fear they’d turn on her too. It was only natural to eavesdrop on their conversation.

Turns out she was half-right. Working for a criminal underlord raised all the red flags, but why were they so concerned with making sure she was safe? Everyone, even Beau seemed genuinely concerned for her well-being, and the topic of her magic never once came up as a potential source of income. But why? A single question kept burning in her mind, never easing for a second. Were these people genuine, or were they just smart enough to not talk about selling her while she was in the same room?

Still anxious, she didn’t actually fall asleep until much, much later into the morning. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 11/11/20: I wasn't too happy with how this or the next chapter turned out so they've received a face lift. Hope it reads better~!
> 
> 11/30/20: ...last edit I swear.


	4. The Road to Zadash

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Mighty Nein finally leave the Sour Nest and Valyria gets her own pair of socks
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING:  
> \--Mild Language  
> \--Mention of child abuse  
> \--Mention of human trafficking  
> \--SPOILERS(duh)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo! I’ve gotta tell you, this was a HARD chapter to pump out—sorry I didn’t get it published last week. It’s not my favorite, but we basically have a bit of fluff, and a bit of angst...bone appetite!
> 
> Song Ruzza Plays: https://youtu.be/jkRrzAo9Wl4 (Flow My Tears|| By John Dowland)

The next morning Valyria woke up with no memory of when she fell asleep, where she fell asleep, and very much aware of a warm, vibrating body curled up against her chest.

Panic ensued and she reeled back. Where was she? What was touching her? Her eyes darted around wildly, looking for an oncoming threat, only to meet the disgruntled gaze of an orange tabby cat. She blinked.

The cat looked none too pleased at being disturbed, and she only then realized that it was the thing curled up against her chest. She frowned. It looked a little...odd for a cat. Those eyes seemed to glow, just a little bit, and its posture was too calm—too dismissive. Then again, all cats held some air of self-importance.

“I-I’m sorry, did I wake you?” Valyria asked quietly, aware now that everyone else was still asleep. It mewed curtly.

She held her hand out to the strange cat, which accepted a light rub over the ears before turning and sauntering to the red-haired wizard. The cat circled around his lap once. Twice. Then settled in and turned to stare at her, unblinkingly. 

“Riiiiiight, always good to start the morning with something weird.” She muttered, rubbing the dust off of her eyes and glancing around. 

The room was still dimly lit, the air stale, and the ground was cool, with specks of sand caught in the cracks. Her hand rubbed over it absentmindedly, feeling the uneven stone beneath her fingers. Everyone else was still asleep—though Beau and Keg were still missing for some reason.

Frowning a little she yawned, stretching her back and carefully extracting herself from her little nest, making sure to take a blanket with her since her back was still exposed to the cold air. She stumbled, her legs still refusing to cooperate entirely. It took great effort to quietly shuffle away from the sleeping adults, and by the time she was near the door her legs were threatening to buckle.

Panting a little, she continued to pull herself against the wall with frustration. She was sick and tired of her body refusing to cooperate! If she wanted to go for a walk, she was going to! She narrowed her eyes at the corridor, steeling herself. 

She wandered aimlessly through the dungeon. She was slow at first, making sure to leave little scratch marks along the wall to mark her path and not lose her balance. Without realizing it though, she had meandered her way down to the breaking room. She only realized it as she spotted a body lying close to her feet. She froze. Ruzza.

. . . . . 

_ Valyria wandered the streets, humming absentmindedly. The sky was growing dark, and as per usual of the frigid climate people were taking the time to scurry inside whatever hovel they could find and bundle up for the night. Valyria hummed, rubbing her hands together as she took her time. She already had a place to stay—her little nest in the alley closest to the walls—which was a good walk away but that wasn’t her priority. No, she was looking for someone. A traveler, someone new to town. _

_ The sound of a lute drew her attention, a wide grin sneaking on her face as she caught the elvish song. She sped up, jogging her way to the empty market square where a familiar, short-haired half-elf was currently singing a sad, forlorn ballad. The language was alien to her, but the notes were so clear and melodious she was easily swept away. She stood there a good minute or two before the bard took notice, and she immediately stopped. _

_ “Heya kiddo! What took you?” Ruzza smiled, pausing to stretch her arms. Valyria grinned. _

_ “Well, I’ll let you know, that I was busy being productive.” She joked, pulling out two wrinkled oranges from her bag. Ruzza raised an eyebrow. _

_ “You didn’t steal those did you?” _

_ “Pff! As if!” Valyria scoffed, tossing one to the elf before plopping next to her. She started ceremoniously peeling the fruit—which wasn’t fresh by any means, but a rare sight none the same. _

_ “I just happened to have been walking through the market when one of the stands collapsed. I went to help and got free pickings of the waste bin for my efforts.” She pulled out some shriveled radishes and a carrot from her bag.  _

_ “Not bad, but as I was rifling through I happened to notice some of the fruit was still on the ground. No one noticed, the owner was busy getting haggled out of a fair price, so I simply picked them up.” _

_ “So you did steal them.” Ruzza said with amusement. _

_ “Not stealing if no one bothered to pick them up.” She countered, popping a slice in her mouth. She hummed suropticiously as she split the wrinkly flesh between her teeth. Ruzza chuckled, eyeing the untouched fruit in her hand. _

_ “So, what’ve you been up to today?” She asked after savoring another slice. _

_ “Well, good news is I’ve finally finished that job I was ‘ere for.” Ruzza said nonchalantly.  _

_ “Are you finally going to tell me what it was?” Valyria prodded. _

_ “Nah, boring escort stuff, no big deal.” Ruzza waved it off, then stretched her back. “But—good news is I’m finally leaving this place, tomorrow actually.” Valyria’s heart sank. _

_ “Oh. Already?” She couldn’t hide the reluctance in her voice. Ruzza paused, eyeing her slyly. _

_ “Well yeah, no point in stayin’.” She pursed her lips. “Hey, you’ve been practicing that special magic of yours?”  _

_ Valyria blinked. _

_ “Uh, y-yes actually.” She said, then started scrambling through her belongings. “I’ve actually gotten better at it!” She said, pulling up her own instrument. _

_ It was pitiful, really, especially compared to Ruzza’s silver-stringed beauty. A bulky, splintered, beat up behemoth with cracks and holes all along the spine, and two missing strings. The pegs were rusty, and it was practically held together by cheesecloth.  _

_ That didn’t stop her though as she eagerly held a hand over the top peg. She took a breath, closing her eyes in concentration. She started to feel it, stirring ever so slightly, and the noise around her started to fade. A whisper of magic crawled along her arm, trickling down and around the metal. The rust began to shake.  _

_ Encouraged, Valyria continued. Churning back time faster and faster. The noise faded completely, replaced by a rapid static that quickly grew overwhelming. Her chest was starting to hurt, but she kept pushing it. The noise was getting worse, pounding in her head as her ribs threaded to crack until finally she stopped. She blinked. _

_ Looking down, not only was the first peg repaired like she had intended, but the entire top half of the neck! Valyria grinned, brushing a hand over a now polished surface.  _

_ “Wow, I’m impressed!” Ruzza cheered. Valyria grinned up at her, then it faded a little when she remembered the elf was leaving.  _

_ “You know, that’s a pretty useful trick,” Ruzza continued, as she glanced down at her instrument, “fixing up instruments like that. Could get you a job.” _

_ “Hm.” Valyria didn’t have anything to add. It wasn’t that impressive— _

_ “I could use a trick like that,” she continued, Valyria immediately hanging on her words, “saves me the trouble of paying to get my tools fixed. And who knows? Maybe I could teach you a thing or two…” Was she really…? _

_ “A-are you serious?” Valyria gaped. Ruzza gave her that cocky half-smile. _

_ “I mean if you’re up for it...kinda a tough gig, keeping my instruments well-kept.” She said. “You sure you’re up for it?” _

_ “Yes! Yes I’d love to! Sign me up!” Valyria said immediately. Ruzza chuckled, ruffling her hair and standing. _

_ “Right kiddo, let’s get going then! My group leaves tonight.” Ruzza turned and started walking, waving her to catch up. _

_ “O-okay!” Valyria leapt off the fountain edge, trailing behind the half-elf as they headed away from the guards. Away from the city, where no one would be the wiser if she disappeared. _

_ Valyria smiled up at Ruzza, elated that she was finally leaving this place. Completely oblivious to the sins that were to follow as Ruzza smiled down at her.  _

. . . . . 

She kept replaying that scene, over and over again, as if something would change. It was pitiful how weak her magic was at the time.  _ Anyone _ could’ve used mending and it’d turn out a thousand times better than what she coughed out. 

It didn’t matter, she was so desperate to impress Ruzza, to get her approval she didn’t stop to think. Stop to consider how children have been disappearing from the city, and the fact that Ruzza was obsessed with how her magic was progressing. It was actually sad, how easily she got blind-sighted.

“It’s funny...I really idealized you, you know? Like you had it all figured out, and no one could tell you otherwise.” She said to no one but herself. She sighed, blinking as she felt a pressure building up behind her eyes. “I was really hoping things’d turn out better, you know? Stupid, right?” She started laughing to herself, shaking her head as a pressure built up behind her eyes. 

“So easy.”

It didn’t matter. Who was she talking to, anyway? Valyria looked down at the body, cross bolt sticking out of her neck. A pool of drying blood was gathered around her head. If there was any time to cry, now would be it. But she couldn’t. She just...sat there. 

An hour must have passed by the time she finally stirred. She noticed a lump of wood hanging off Ruzza’s belt, with red and black poppies along the brim and silver pegs. The soundboard was crushed. Shattered from Ruzza falling. 

Valyria picked up the broken instrument, hand brushing across the broken curve of its spine. It really was a beautiful instrument, it would be a pity to leave it broken. She closed her eyes.

It was easier finding the connection now than she had back then, and the damage wasn’t nearly as old. The world stilled around her as she breathed magic into the shattered wood, easily restoring it to how it was before. She looked down at it, then at the bard.

“Guess we’re even now, I guess.” She said, twirling it absentmindedly in her hands. 

If she wanted to be petty she could just take it, after all the elf did smash hers not too long ago. It’d be poetic, she mused distantly. Her hands tightened around the neck, her face blank of expression. 

Slowly she bent back down, setting the silver instrument beside the half-elf. Just before standing, she made sure to close the slaver’s eyes, but couldn’t bring herself to pull the arrow out of her neck. 

_ It was silly _ , a part of her thought,  _ why should she give the bitch any semblance of respect? She had hurt her, tortured her for crying out loud! _ She shrugged, not knowing the answer. There really wasn’t a point, she was dead either way. She supposed this was nothing more than to satisfy her own need for closure, however foolish that was. Valyria slumped back up the stairs, feeling numb.

. . . . . 

“So...what’s the verdict?” Valyria asked innocently during breakfast, eating slowly and trying to avoid eye contact with anybody. 

She had gotten back and everyone was still asleep. She decided to sit in the kitchen, absentmindedly picking out dirt beneath her nails. Eventually they got up, Caduceus quickly making a ‘quiche’ for breakfast. Keg was nowhere to be found. 

The morning air held a slight awkwardness as they ate in silence, everyone still reeling from the week’s past events. It definitely didn’t help that she knew Beau clearly didn’t like her and Caleb was reluctant at best at the idea of letting her stay. Stars, even  _ she _ was put off by it. It definitely wouldn’t help if they figured out she’d been dropping eves last night. She took a bite of eggs, trying to hold an air of disinterest—like she hadn’t any idea what they were going to say.

It didn’t come across as non-interested as she’d hoped. The table shared glances, no one volunteering to speak. There was a twinge of panic, Valyria fearing they might have changed their minds when she was actually asleep. Finally Fjord cleared his throat, absorbing her attention as he sat back in his chair,

“We’ve come to an agreement that you can tag along with us. As long as you’re willing, and able to defend yourself.” 

“Kinda a free-trial sorta thing,” Beau said quickly, “you know, see if you really wanna stick around or just...go on your own when we get to Zadash. That kinda thing.” She shrugged, obviously leaning towards the latter option. Valyria released the breath she was subconsciously holding.

“Huh, thank you.” She said hesitantly, still a little shell-shocked. A spark of anxiety pushed her to express that she was genuinely grateful, “R-really, thank you. I-I promise not to be a burden to you all.” She bowed her head for emphasis, earring a groan of disgust from Beau.

“Don’t—don’t bow! Come on, what do we look like, royalty?” She rolled her eyes.

”Speak for yourself Beau!” Jester playfully tapped the monk on the shoulder, flipping her hair over one shoulder. That earned a couple of chuckles from the table.

Valyria allowed herself to relax. A group of adventurers letting  _ her _ of all people, indefinitely if she understood Fjord correctly. It didn’t matter how many times they could say it, because the very concept was unbelievable. She appreciated it, though couldn’t help but still remain guarded. After all, everything could change in a matter of seconds. It was then she noticed a majority of the table was looking at her. 

“So…when do we leave this place?” She started cautiously.

“Whenever I guess, we don’t have anything else to do here really.” Caleb shrugged, his lap cat flicking its tail as if in agreement.

“Great! Guess I’ll...go check outside then!” Valyria pushed away from the table, walking out of the room with her mug of tea in hand. The sooner she was out of here for good, the better.

She continued walking, turning a couple pathways to eventually stumble across an open door. There was a blanket of white, and a cool breeze telling her it led to the outside. Outside. 

Her eyes went wide. Slowly at first, then in an awkward trot, then she was running. Running out into the open field, stretching her hands out to embrace the cold. 

She sucked in a breath. It was crisp, hinting at the pine forest a distance away, and seeping into her like a soothing balm. Tasting fresh air for the first time in too many weeks...she laughed, rubbing at her face. A part of her wanted to cry. 

She was free, she was actually free! Ignoring the cold biting into her bare feet, she ran around, enjoying the wind hitting her face. All too soon she was out of breath, and fell against the snow. Panting, staring up at the sky with the biggest smile on her face.

The crunching of footsteps drew her attention back to the stronghold, where she saw Caleb walk outside. She tensed.

“Uh, the snow’s nice.” She said a little guardedly, sitting up and brushing the snow off her shoulders. 

“Jah, it is.” He said a little distractedly, turning to look at the falling snow. His gaze became more distracted as he stared out into the trees, and Valyria wisely circled around him to start exploring the perimeter of the stronghold.

A short while later she discovered the stables. There were four horses in total. Big, long-haired beasts that could topple her in a second. They eyed her cautiously, two backing away. She approached one gingerly, reaching out to pet its caramel-colored muzzle. 

“Hi there…you’re a pretty thing aren’t you?” She coed. The horse huffed, sniffing at her outstretched hand. “It’s ok, I don’t bite.” 

After a moment’s hesitation, the horse pushed against her hand. Its fur was coarse and prickly, ticking her skin a little. She giggled, reaching over to scratch behind its ears. Animals were always fun to be around.

The crunching of snow drew her attention, and she saw the others rounding the corner. She nodded when she caught Caduceus’s eye, then turned her attention back to the horses.

“Heyyyyy, they’ve got a really cool cart over here!” Jester’s voice rang over the field. Valyria turned her head again.

Ducking her torso into one of the carts, it looked like Jester’s body was cut in half. Valyria tensed.

It was one of the Shepherd’s smuggling carts, enchanted to disguise everything inside behind an illusion of sacks and crates. She knew what was really there. Cages.

The horse nudged her for attention, huffing a little impatiently. She smiled.

“Ok, someone’s being a Princess aren’t you?” She muttered. The horse whinnied, bumping her again hand. 

“Oh cool, you found the horses. That’s nice.” Caduceus said, ducking his head down in order to enter the stable. Valyria glanced at him, watching him offer a hand to scratch the underside of the caramel-colored mare.

“Hello there, it’s a pleasure to meet you all. Lovely stable you have here.” He said.

The horse huffed, swinging its head in response. Two of the others gathered closer to Caduceus, as if they could understand him.

“We’ll be needing some of your assistance if you don’t mind. Care to tag along? “They whinnied in response. Valyria turned to him, agape.

“Can—you can talk to them?” She asked in a tiny whisper. Caduceus grinned.

“Well yeah, all animals really.”

“How? Can you teach me?” Valyria leaned closer, eyes sparkling with excitement. He scratched the back of his neck.

“Dunno…it's kind of an innate ability my family has. I can try to teach you but it’s kind of hard to explain.” Her shoulders deflated a little.

“That’s alright, you don’t have to.” She turned her attention back to the horse. “It’s nice that someone here can understand you guys, right?” The horse nodded for more pets and she complied. Caduceus hummed to himself, glancing between her and the horse.

Saddled and ready, the group made their way out of the Sour Nest. Against her better instincts Valyria rode inside the cart. The cages were gone, thankfully, but it was hard to dissociate the memories from her last trip in this wagon. 

She wouldn’t have gone in at all if she could, but they needed to enter the neighboring town, Shady Creek Run, to pick up their so-called ‘person of importance’. This mysterious benefactor of theirs...just so happened to be a noblewoman.

Clutching at the letter she had to recede. No one in the city could be trusted, let alone a noble—even if they were the self-proclaimed enemy of the house that was responsible for auctioning her. They might want to do the same thing, if they caught wind of her. With that in perspective, it wasn’t a hard decision. So...as long as she didn’t need to answer nature’s call, she was gonna stay right here. Until the end of their mission. No stretching her legs, no sleeping outside, and no, singing. Better safe than sorry.

It wasn’t like she was alone, this time. Jester and Nott were inside as well, taking advantage of this wonderous opportunity to throw crude gestures and moon at unsuspecting bystanders. Valyria watched them with a stunned expression all over her face, then had to look away before laughing her head off. 

Deep within the city, they approached an auspicious household with large metal gates surrounding the property. There were four guards posted at the front, all armed with crossbows. One of them took notice, 

“Halt! State your business!” He shouted. Everyone visible held their hands up, showing they weren’t any threat. Nott blew a raspberry.

“Um, good evening. Good day. Good afternoon. We are expected by, uh Miss Mardun.” Caleb said awkwardly. Valyria arched an eyebrow.

“Did he make that rhyme intentionally, or was it subconscious?” She whispered to Jester. She giggled. One of the guards glanced at his cohorts.

“Please wait here, I’ll be right back. I’m going to check.” The guard closed the gate behind him and disappeared for a minute. There was an awkward pause, the other guards looking everyone up and down. Eventually the doors opened, and they were allowed entry. 

“Uhm, you’ll have to leave your cart out here.” The guard said. Valyria’s heart jumped. They were probably going to search it, or someone was going to try and steal from them. If they did her cover would be blown!

“No, that’s not doable. Do you have a wider gate around back or something like that?” Beau piped up, crossing her arms and wearing a smug smile over her features. Clearly just wanting to mess with them. The guard’s face didn’t shift.

“We do not. We’ll watch it, don’t worry.” She hummed thoughtfully, Caleb exhaling his own sound of uncertainty. “We’ll keep an eye on it. It’s not going anywhere.”

“You, personally?” Beau continued. The guard was starting to look a little miffed.

“Yes! It’s my job, I’m stationed literally right here.” 

“Well I hope you have some extra hands.” Fjord added. “We’re going to be picking up some very heavy equipment and… lugging it all the way from the house back to the gate if we can’t bring the cart in.”

“Alright, I can put in the request for help.” The guard said, glancing to the others.

Fjord coughed and Valyria had to hold back a squeak. She glanced at Jester nervously, who was shaking her head and giving a confident thumbs up.

“Don’t worry, we’ll be fine!” Nott whispered, mirroring Jester. She glanced down at the goblin, who was worse than she was at hiding her anxiety. Valyria quickly gave her a shaky smile, meeting her thumbs up halfway. It was then Caleb spoke up,

“I know this cart like the back of my hand, and if one inch of it is touched, I will know.” He eyed the guards dangerously, finger pointed. The guard shuffled.

“I would, tell this cart that we’ll be right back. Stay put, cart.” Fjord suddenly announced, patting the side of it and eyeing the space the three of them were currently occupying. Valyria bit her lip. It would’ve been comedic if it wasn’t for the guards raising dubious glances in Fjord’s direction.

“He’s very personal with his cart.” Beau explained without breaking eye contact.

“...Very well. Uh, the mistress is waiting for you.” The guard said, deciding not to question it. 

With them gone, the guards continued as they were. There was an occasional glance at  them the cart, but thank the stars no one approached. Valyria sank back, sighing a little. 

Ten, fifteen minutes later they were still sitting undisturbed. That did nothing to quell Valyria’s ever growing anxiousness, as she bit her nails eyeing the mansion. They’ve been gone for a while now, what if something bad happened?

“How long are they gonna be gone?” She worried out loud in a hushed whisper. Nott was sitting behind Jester, doing an intricate french braid and weaving in bits of ribbon. It was very impressive.

“Shouldn’t be too long, they’re just reporting on how they took down Lorenzo aaaaand picking up Lady what’s-her-face.” Jester said without worry, doodling little swirls in her sketchbook. Valyria did a double-take. Actually, those were dicks. She coughed.

“Hey hey hey! After I’m done—you should sit down and let Nott braid your hair! It’ll be really prettyyyyyy~” She waggled her eyebrows.

Valyria looked at a handful of her tangled locks. Most of the mats were combed out, but it was still a greasy, dirty, frizzled mess. She winced. She hated to think of what she looked like right now. Subconsciously she tugged her nightgown over her toes, which had lost feeling by now. Jester took notice, and her mouth fell open.

“Oh my god—you’ve been without shoes this entire time!?” She whisper-shouted. Valyria winced, glancing over at the guards who didn’t pay any heed.

“Uh, yes? Is that a problem?” She self-consciously clutched at the blanket around her shoulders.

“Are you kidding me? Yes that’s a problem!” She continued to whisper-shout, quieter this time, but nonetheless revolted. 

“I’m...sorry?” She deadpanned. 

_ “It’s not like I had any choice _ .” she bit back. It wasn’t her fault she lost them the first time she tried escaping. 

Jester, now looked personally offended. Nott made a noise of alarm as she pulled away—hair immediately coming undone as she shoved her arms deep within her bottomless haversack. After a moment of digging she pulled out a pair of crumpled cloth, which she pushed at Valyria. 

“Here here, I have an extra pair of socks until I can get you some shoes. Come on, put them on!”

“Y-you don’t have to—Really, I’m fine!” Valyria insisted, even as Jester shoved them into her hands. She looked down. They were knitted grey wool, with strands of silvery thread weaved into the weave that made them sparkle, and little red bows adorning the rim. Her hands froze, aware of the dirt caked under her nails. They looked so expensive. Too expensive. She didn’t want to dirty them. 

“You...are you sure? These look really nice and…” she couldn’t look her in the eye.

“It’s fine! They’re too small for me anyway—I’d rather  _ you _ wear them than Fjord.” She said this like it was a private joke of theirs. Her hands tightened over the socks, biting her lip.

“Admittedly that would be pretty funny.” Nott commented.

“Are…” Valyria stopped herself. It was a gift. To keep refusing might hurt Jester’s feelings or offend her. She should just swallow her pride and be grateful! She sighed, holding them to her chest and giving Jester a genuine smile. “Th-thank you, Jester.” The older tiefling grinned.

“No problem! Now put them on!” 

Valyria slipped on the socks, toes stretching deliciously inside the warm, encompassing wool. So soft…she let out an involuntary sigh of relief. Jester meanwhile, was back to frowning. Eying her head to toe, chin tucked into one hand as she hummed. Valyria noticed, tensing under the scrutiny.

“...what?”

“Hmm,” Jester only hummed, narrowing her eyes further. She was suddenly hit with an idea, emphasizing her epiphany with an excited clap. Valyria jumped at the sudden noise.

“Oh! As soon as we get to Zadash we’ll go shopping!”

“Uh, what?”

“We need to get you some new clothes! I mean, no offense but I’m surprised that thing hasn’t desintagrated by now.” She tugged at her sleeve. Valyria flinched back.

“And some new shoes too.” Nott added. “Maybe some gloves, a new hat perhaps? Oh! I’ve got some shopping to do to, so it’ll be a girl’s night out sort of thing!”

“Oh yeah yeah! It’ll be fun!” Jester clapped her hands together, grinning wildly. 

And officially Vlayria’s case was lost. Jester and Nott spiraled into an in-depth discussion of their plans once they got paid and made it to Zadash. Valyria tried to pop in once in a while, insisting they didn’t need to get her anything, only for them to shoot her down and insist it would be fun—especially from Jester. She gave up eventually, and left herself to pick out grout from the cracks within the wood.

Out the corner of her eye she spotted movement behind the gate. Her head perked up, straining to see the others pass through—accompanied by a small ontourage and a finely-dressed tiefling.

Her hair was black and slicked back all the way down to her ankles, with pale white skin and pupil-less yellow eyes. Interestingly, her horns were curled then shot straight up the back of her head, like two tower spikes. She was dressed in a militaristic overcoat that emphasized her figure, and form-fitting trousers paired with boots. There was a smug saunter in the way she carried herself, looking down on everyone with a self-assured smile. The epitome of a toff, if Valyria had ever seen one.

_ “So many tieflings here…”  _ She added to the thought, distractedly, eyeing the woman suspiciously. 

After a boring discussion of travel logistics, the woman ascended into her over-encumbered carriage that started descending the street. They followed suit, accompanied by another carriage clearly meant to make their ontourage look more impressive. Caleb chose to ride in that one—along with his cat. Meanwhile Fjord, Beau, and Caduceus all piled to the front of the cart.

And so began their long, surprisingly uneventful trip to Zadash. Valyria hummed quietly to herself, curling against the side with a small yawn. Already tired, she committed herself to napping for the rest of the day. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok! Finally out of the Sour Nest! I’m really excited for what’s to come you guys! (Also, we’re already at 100 hits! Whaaaaaaaat????)
> 
> 11/11/20: Another facelift chapter, but the next one is on schedule for the end of this week!
> 
> 11/17/20: Ok, final edit I swear.
> 
> 11/30/20: ...


	5. Girls’ Night Out pt. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jester keeps Valyria out of the Gentleman’s den by dragging her along on a shopping trip. What could go wrong?
> 
> (Contrarily, this chapter has more feels and the real mischief happens in the next chapter)
> 
> ((i.e. Shameless big-sister Jester energy up ahead))
> 
> No Trigger Warnings, other than SPOILERS!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so this chapter ended up being waaay longer than I anticipated so it’s getting split in half. It could have worked as a single chapter, buuuuuuuuut that would’ve meant cutting out the gang meeting up with Pumat and we can all agree THAT would have been a travesty. So, enjoy the two parter!

Eight days passed by in a strange blur. They traveled south, leaving behind Shadycreek Run to enter the inner sect of the Dwindalian Empire. 

It was strangely surreal, being out of the Sour Nest. A part of her still didn’t believe it. A part of her still had moments where she would slip out of focus and wonder if she was actually there and not dreaming. Just...watching. Waiting to be sucked back into her cell. 

Then Jester would sing over-the-top road songs, Caleb’s cat Frumpkin would pester her for pets, or Cadesues would point out something funny in the landscape, and she’d be pulled right back. It was...nice to say the least. Jarring, but nice.

Which was nothing compared to the ear-splitting clamor of Zadash. Everything was fine up until they passed through the metal gates, where all hell broke loose. 

Too crowded. Too loud. Everything was so loud! Horses clamoring against the streets. Bells ringing from a nearby temple. Vendors, cryers, and beggars clamouring for everyone’s attention. She couldn't hear herself think. Couldn’t breath. The muscles in her chest refusing to move. 

A painful hammering pressed into her chest. Clutching at her ears she sank back into the cart, trying to squeeze out the sound. Quietly she began to murmur, a faint vibration growing behind her eyelids.

With a soft ‘pop’ the noise dulled and faded to the background, like putting her head underwater. Her chest relaxed in a slow exhale. She breathed, hugging her knees to her highest as the smell of horse and fish assailed her nose. When the adrenaline wore off and she adjusted to level of stimulation, she risked opening her eyes to take in the city.

Nogvurot was not impressive, by any means. A small military outpost lodged between a crusted mountain range and barren flatlands. If it wasn’t for the overwhelming majority of crownguard stationed there to patrol the border, it would’ve all crumbled down into nothing more than ramshackle tents and muddy taverns—which already made up the majority of the city to begin with. A glorified ghetto at best. This place however…

The outer city resembled the nicer ghettos of Nogverout, but as they delved further into the city the mud gave way to cobblestone streets and stone buildings that stretched taller than the portcullises of Nogverout’s city wall. Three in particular stood out. Three giant monoliths compared to the buildings underneath, these towers twisted high into the heavens, each with its own individual architecture and splendor. Underneath the towers’ gaze people milled about, none of them hunched over with the dread or poverty of her hometown. Everything here was bright, cheerful. What anyone would imagine a storybook city was like.

The cart clattered to a stop in front of a tavern that was squished awkwardly between two other buildings, light lazily creeping out from its dark brown doors. Valyria raised an eyebrow, looking up to read “The Evening Nip” on a creaking, weather-worn sign that hadn’t fallen off its hinges by some miracle. 

Out the corner of her eye she noticed Beau elbowing Jester, but couldn’t hear what she was muttering to the tiefling. Instead, her attention was focused on Lady Ophelia as she descended the steps of her cart, hovering towards the tavern. Unaware of the figure looming over her.

Someone tapped her shoulder, making her jump and spin around, hands raised defensively. Jester backed away, hands up.

“Hey hey, it’s ok! I was trying to talk to you but you were ignoring me—what’s up?” Jester asked with concern, Valyria having to strain through the cantrip to hear her. She forced herself to relax.

“Oh, y-yeah I’m fine. Sorry. Can’t really,” she waved at her ears, her own voice distorted by the spell, “hear too well right now.”

Jester raised her eyebrows. 

“Oh? You ok—you didn’t hurt yourself somehow did you?” Valyria was already shaking her head, allowing a small smile to creep across her face.

“Nope. Cantrip. Uh, prestidigitation...I think?” She paused, realizing she didn’t quite know what the spell should be called. “I uh, learned it a while ago, before the other stuff.” She continued quickly, somewhat dismissively. “Back home, sometimes you could hear the fighting and it made it hard to sleep, so...yeah. Instant earmuffs.” She tapped her ears for emphasis.

“Huh, cool…” Jester didn’t seem to quite get it, furrowing her eyebrows a little. Valyria shrugged it off, instead turning to see everyone beginning to dismount. 

“Where are we going? That tavern over there?” She asked, inching towards the ledge and trying to catch a glimpse inside. Jester shook her head.

“Nah, everyone’s gonna be working on, you know.” She bent over and whispered, “Finishing up some work stuff. It’s a leeeettle illegal so the two of us are gonna go shopping instead!”

Valyria’s stomach clenched. All her instincts were firing warning signs, and absentmindedly she started planning a when and where to scamper off. She shoved those thoughts down. These people weren’t going to sell her! If they wanted to have they would’ve done so in Shadycreek Run. Besides, they already made it clear they were against such things. With forced indifference she started getting up.

“Ok, if you say so—wagh!”

Apparently she was taking too long, prompting Jester to yank her out. She stumbled onto the street. Again, not the first time surprised by how jarringly strong Jester was. 

“Gheeze, you’re really light Valyria,” Jester commented, easily lifting her up like a cat, “you’re like a doll or something!” 

Valyria choked indignantly, feet dangling helplessly above the cobblestone.

“I-I’m not that light!” She spattered, pouting as she tried to swing out of Jester’s grip to no avail. _Curse her infernal strength! Wait, that would mean I get it to._

Thank the stars her torment didn’t last that long. Jester chuckled, before setting her down and stretching her arms out, taking in the space with a yawn.

“Ok, first stop—bathhouse. No offense, but you look like you’ve been dragged through a sewer and then some.”

“That...did happen.” Valyria deadpanned, recalling how she tried hiding inside the sewer/body-dump underneath the Sour Nest. She shuddered, at least they gave her that nightshift instead of forcing her to stay in her soiled clothes. Then again, that was more likely for _their_ sakes than hers. 

Growing up on the streets, a bathhouse was one of many luxuries Valyria never dreamed of experiencing. She almost felt like a cockroach, walking into the pristine foyer with its marble busts, rippling fountains, and rich carpets...covered in dirt, grime, and other unmentionables. The clerk seemed to agree, raising a brow dubiously as they approached.

Valyria wasn’t too proud of how she practically hid behind Jester as they discussed commerce, but wasn’t going to let herself be scrutinized by some bathrobe-clad toff. Eventually, the two were led to adjacent doors, holding individual sets of linens and bathrobes. After a near meltdown at the mention of a public bath, Jester wisely suggested a shared room instead. It took a bit of explaining, but it boiled down to two separate rooms connected by a low wall, so they could converse with the convince of privacy. Valyria was more open to that, but still stood there hesitantly, staring at the doorknob like it was going to bite her hand.

“I’ll be next door so holler if you need me, ok?” Jester reassured her, easily seeing her discomfort.

“I guess…” Valyria muttered. Jester patted her head, then waltzed into her room.

Valyria didn’t know what to expect. Opening the door for condensation to spill out and cling to her skin. The room itself was much larger than she originally thought, though the ferns sprouting in one corner was a complete surprise. The walls were clean, as was the floor. Then there was the tub. A porcelain thing sitting patiently in the middle. There was even a self to one side, housing soaps, potions, and even a tureen of sliced fruit and a jug of water at its side. 

The steamy waters beckoned her closer, but Valyria couldn’t bring herself to step inside. It felt wrong, somehow. Like she was too dirty to ruin something so clean. Loud splashing interrupted her thought, followed by an audible sigh. Clearly Jester wasn’t wasting any time.

 _Come on, just enjoy something for once._ She thought bitterly. Sighing at her own reluctance to have something good come her way, she slowly peeled off her tattered night shift, abandoning it to the floor. The socks she treated more delicately, reverently folding them and setting them beside a bar of lavender-colored soap. With no other way to procrastinate, she slowly lowered herself into the water.

A soft hiss escaped her lips as the warm waters enveloped her skin. All the tightness in her body was leached out of her bones, and a moment later her body was relaxing. She rested her head against the tubs edge, sighing softly as she enjoyed the sensation, of gentle currents bouncing her legs and allowing her to float.

Slowly, deliberately, she sank down into the water until her head was underneath. There, she dismissed the cantrip and with a faint pop her hearing returned to normal. She stayed down there, under the water, scrubbing off every inch of filth that caked her body. By the time she was done the water had turned a murky brown.

She sighed, admiring how clean her skin was. She could even see the scars over her left hand, the faint little swirls that crawled up her fingers and faded into her forearm. When was the last time she could see them? Certainly not before she was kidnapped, every minute of her life was spent caked in dirt. Not anymore, apparently. A small laugh escaped her lips, hands running over the marks in wonderment. Alright, maybe this wasn’t so bad...

“Hey Valyria!” Jester shouted from over the dividing wall. Valyria slipped inside the tub, splashing water out of the tub.

“Y-yes?” She stammered, impulsively bringing her hand to her chest.

“You ok? You’re really quiet over there.” Jester continued.

“Um, yes. I’m fine!” She shouted. There was a small pause before,

“I’m a little bored right now so—can I come braid your hair?” Without thinking she dumbly responded,

“Um, s-sure?”

The slapping of feet against wet stone was the only warning she got, before witnessing Jester vault over the divider and stick a perfect landing in her room. Valyria shrieked, scrambling to cover herself inside the basin.

“Oh, sorry! I didn’t know you were still naked!” Jester spluttered, thank the stars she was wearing her bathrobe. Valyria’s ears turned a dark purple, she absolutely refused to lift herself above the basin.

“M-maybe turn around so I can get d-dressed first?” She stammered. Jester rolled her eyes.

“Okaaaaay, if it makes you comfortable.” She exaggerated her steps as she turned around, tail swishing as she whistled off into the air.

Quickly extracting herself from the tub, Valyria swathed herself in a towel before piling the fluffy white silk over her body, tightly tying the little sash around her midsection. It was silly. They were both girls—well, that didn’t really help. She was an adult and she was a kid….which was also weird but she really shouldn’t be over-thinking this kind of stuff! Augh! Valyria pulled at her face. 

“I’m decent.” She mumbled, hoping the blush was gone as Jester turned around.

“Wow, you look so much better without all that dirt! If only Caleb would listen to me!” Jester leaned over to book Valyria on the nose, smiling. “Now, your hair on the other hand…”

Valyria winced. Right. That unsightly beast. Self-consciously she tugged at a knotted strand and grimaced. 

“It’s not that bad!” Jester quickly waved off, leaning over the divider to pull out her haversack. “Go sit over there and I’ll brush it out for you. Oh! First you should pick out one of those fancy oils though, they’re reeeeally nice.”

“Uh...ok?” She stared at the pile of fancy jars, having no clue what oil had to do with hair maintenance. Shouldn’t you be trying to get rid of oils? After a moment of uncertainty, she picked up a nosed jar and sniffed at it. It smelled like honey. She liked that one. Probably.

“Found it!” Jester proclaimed, holding up a long—toothed comb with triumph. Not sure how to respond, Valyria just tottered over and sat down.

“Uh, I found this stuff.” She handed it over. Jester took the bottle and looked it over, suddenly scrutinizing it. With a firm nod, she plopped down and started combing through Valyria’s hair.

Valyria had to give her credit where it was due. Jester spent a whole thirty seconds before having to fill the silence,

“So! Have you ever been to a bathhouse before?” 

“No. I thought that was obvious.” Valyria commented. 

“Right right, obviously.” Jester rolled her eyes. “Any hobbies? I remember you mentioning you could play the lute. Did you end up loosing it or something?” Valyria winced, instinctively holding her leg hand.

“Yeeeah, kind of got smashed, actually.” She admitted, her voice shrinking. Jester’s hand paused, as if just now realizing the indelicacy of her question. 

“Hm, okay, what about…” her eyes trailed down to see Valyria rubbing at her wrist, and she stopped. “Hey, what are these?” Jester reached out for her hand and Valyria jumped, clutching it to her chest. She spun around, eyes narrowing.

“Nothing! What’s it to you?” She snapped back, tensing.

“W-well—I just—I dunno.” Surprisingly Jester seemed to deflate. “I’m sorry, I’m not trying to make up uncomfortable! I mean, I’ve never really, you know, had other friends before meeting the group, and all. Don’t get me wrong! The Traveler’s been amazing and Nott, Beau, Yasha—they’re all great and all— it’s just...I dunno.” She twirled the hairbrush in her hands, looking dejected.

“Nott braids my hair sometimes but...none of them really like doing...girly stuff so I don’t really try to do it with them. I guess...I guess it was bad for me to assume you would like doing it but I just wanted to hang out and…” her voice was a tiny whisper now, “get to know you, you know? We’ve been traveling together for a while now, but I don’t really know that much about you...”

Valyria sat there quietly. It was true. Throughout the journey, she spent so much time worrying about being a bother, she didn’t didn’t make much time to get to know them or open up about herself. She should’ve at least tried to be more friendly, they were letting her travel with them after all. And here Jester was, looking for a friend and spoiling her left and right and she was still being defensive. She looked down at her left hand, biting her lip. She shouldn’t have overreacted, the scars didn’t even hold any bad memories. They were always with her ever since she could remember, a circular marring around the base of her thumb, hardly even noticeable. Guilt ate at her stomach. Flexing her hand she relented,

“I never had any friends growing up, either…” she started softly, picking at the edges of her bathrobe. “Sure, there was an orphanage for a little bit but—“ she ignored a string of unpleasant memories, “that didn’t last long. Everything from day one’s been about...survival.” Jester looked up, prompting her to continue,

“I’m not used to this. Getting treated nicely, being...vulnerable with others, I guess. But I’m having fun! A-and I _do_ like hanging around with you, for the record. You’re really bright and funny and...it’s just...hard. Especially after…”

“Yeah, yeah I get it.” Jester smiled a little, though there was an edge of sadness to it. They sat there in silence for a moment.

“You uh, you were a prisoner there too, right?” Valyria started slowly. Jester nodded, making her bite her lip.

“Are you...are you alright? It’s—it’s not exactly an easy thing going through so—“ Jester held up a hand, cutting her off.

“I’m fine. Really.” She nodded as if to convince herself. “I’m more than ok! My friends are ok, and we’re safe, so what’s the point of dwelling on it, hm?” She lied through a smile. Valyria could read it easily off her face well enough. She could understand it though, wanting to avoid it.

“So, um...wanna finish braiding my hair?” She asked after a moment. Jester’s smile melted into a genuine on.

“Yeah, let’s do that!”

. . . . . 

A little while later they’d left the bathhouse. Gone was the tattered sack, left to rot on the tile floor. Instead Valyria was wearing a borrowed dress from Jester, and by some magic her hair was tamed into a twin pair of milk-maid braids. At first she thought this was the end of her makeover, but oh how she was wrong.

A whopping thirty minutes alone were spent pursuing a cobbler shop, until they finally settled on a pair of leather boots that prevented water from seeping through and were warmly insulated with fur. Then it was to a dress shop. Then the tailor. Then the glove tailor. Then another dress shop.

The amount of things Jester made her try on, then bought was enough to drive any normal person insane. The sheer weight of coin Jester spent on her was worrying in its own right, and Valyria couldn’t fight back the overwhelming force of guilt tearing away at her at each and every purchase. She protested multiple times, only for Jester to insist “yes, it is necessary to have something to sleep in!” or “I’m getting paid a _lot_ later so it doesn’t matter!”. Eventually she gave up after the first hour, though not just from Jester’s stubbornness.

It was clearly cathartic for her. After her earlier confession of never having friends to go shopping or play dress-up with, the sudden opportunity to spoil someone without restraint made...sense. She guessed. Valyria smiled to herself, glad to see that Jester was having fun. So, despite her continued reluctance, she allowed herself to be pampered and dressed up—even if at some point she felt like an over-decorated Pomeranian.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity(2½ hours) of running from shop to shop and her feet were about to fall off, they were done. They were at their final stop—another tailor—where Jester was covering Valyria’s eyes in front of a mirror. 

“Okkaaaay, keep your eyes clooooooosed,” Jester instructed, adjusting Valyria in front of the mirror.

“You’ve been keeping me in suspense for what? Five hours now?” She teased, unable to help but laugh.

“Come on, it’s totally worth it!” Jester beamed.

“If you say so.” Valyria couldn’t help but roll her eyes. At last she was finished,

“Okaaaaay, open your eyes!” The hands flew back and she froze.

The last time she had seen herself, was in a cracked mirror in a dumpster back home. That was three months ago. She had always been scrawny but…gods.

The girl staring at her from the mirror was no taller than a ten year old, probably scrawnier. There were dark circles set deep into her face, making her already owlish eyes look gianormous. She knew this was better than she was a couple days ago, even a couple hours ago. She was so grateful to have not seen herself back then. 

Trying to focus on the positive, she turned her attention to the outfit Jester had composed for her. She was wearing a light blue long-sleeved dress that ended just above the knees, with a lighter blue dress underneath. The underdress had tiny yellow flowers embroidered along the fabric, which poked through several artistic holes in the sleeves and skirts of the overdress. There was a soft green sash tied around her waist with pouches and bags attached, and a multicolored scarf that ended just below the knees with matching fingerless gloves. To top it all off, her broken horn was wrapped in a bow ribbon to keep from breaking any further. She stared at the reflection, utterly taken aback. 

“Oh Jester…” She whispered, eyes starting to fill with tears. 

“Oh no, you don’t like it?” Jester’s face fell. Valyria shook her head, smiling at wiping at her face.

“No no this is, wonderful I just--it’s a lot.” She laughed a little. A second later, she was hugging her. Something she’d never done with anyone. Ever. Jester stumbled back, Valyria’s arms squeezing around her stomach.

“Thank you, thank you so much.” She whispered, trying to hide the emotion from spilling down her cheeks. When Jester stumbled back she immediately started to pull away, before the teifling returned the hug. Gently patting her on the head. Assured she wasn’t overstepping, she relaxed into the hug.

“Don’t mention it.” She coed.

They left the shop, Valyria’s ears all purple again. She couldn’t avoid the dotting look the shop owner gave the pair, cooing that Jester was “such a loving big sister”. Jester, of course, took it completely too her head—leaving Valyria, the embarrassment butt-end of the joke. 

“So sis~” Jester continued in a sing-song voice, “wasn’t that fun?”

“Y-yeah, lots.” Valyria coughed, frowning up at the sky. “Do you know how late it’s getting? Shouldn’t the others be done by now?” She commented in the hopes to avoid further teasing, prompting Jester to look up.

“Oh yeah! Forgot about that.” She made a derpy face, then started to cast something in the middle of the street,

“Hey guuuuuys~we’re done shoooooopppiiing and we wanna know where you’re at? How’d the job go? Oh! Did you get the money cause I’m—“ she cut herself off, pouting. She casted the spell again and continued monologuing,

“—Anyway, the two of us are in the Pentamarket by the fountain that looks like winged boobies, let me know where you’re at so——Sowecanmeetupandstuff!” Jester finished after casting a third spell.

Vlayria glanced over at the water fountain. It...didn’t really look like a pair of boobs? She squinted. After a couple moments of nodding to herself Jester perked up.

“Ok! I know where they are! Let’s go!” She said, marching down the street.

Turns out they were still at the Evening Nip. The party in question were stumbling out, several of them mildly shit-faced and the rest modestly tipsy. Jester waved them over, and Caducues was the first to notice them.

“Ohheyohhey! How’d everything go? You all look super drunk!” Jester bopped on the tips of her feet as they wandered over. 

“Oh there you guys are. You look good Vlayria, that’s nice.” Caduceus said, looking a little more relaxed than normal.

“Blue’s a good color on you kid.” Fjord commented. Valyria ducked her head. Caleb meandered over, pointing a pair of finger-guns at Jester.

“So! Everything went great. We just got a lot of money, so—“ Jester interrupted.

“Oh oh! Where’s my cut? You better not have shaved any of it off!” She warned severely at Nott, who shook her head in denial.

“Whaaat? Noooo I would neveeeeer.” Of course, implicating that she had done it before. Valyria fought back a grin.

Caleb sighed, subtly handing over a small bag that fell heavily into Jester’s outstretched hand. Valyria raised her eyebrows. Ok...maybe Jester was right in saying they had cash to spare. Just who were these people working for?

“Anyway, as I was saying,” Caleb continued, “we’ve just got paid, so let’s spend all our money on stuff, ya?”

“I’m _always_ up for more shopping!” Jester scooped up the purse, winking at Valyria who gave a small smile back. 

Nott nudged at the bottom of her dress, pulling Valyria’s attention. She was holding a small fistful of coins, which she pushed towards her.

“This is for you.” She said. That guilt rushed back at full throttle.

“Oh Nott...N-no I-I couldn’t! You’re the one that earned it, it’s your money.” She tried but the goblin shook her head, closing the coins into her hand.

“And I’m choosing to give it to you.” 

She stared at the coins. Fifteen platinum...Way more than she’d ever seen, let alone dreamed of holding. A lump formed in the back of her throat, and an unsuspected wave of emotion made her force back a sob.

“Oh no! I broke the kid! I’m sorry! I can take it back if you really want me too!” Nott panicked. Valyria shook her head, clearing her throat.

“No, no it’s fine. Thank you.” She said, sharing a knowing glance with Jester.

“I mean, to be fair you did help in that fight with Lorenzo, so I guess you get a cut.” Beau commented, obviously not a fan of long silences.

“Yeah, I guess…” Valyria grimaced at the mention of the demon's name. Nott patted her arm, winking.

“Don’t mention it, you’re part of the group, after all.” Caleb said.

”Welcome to the Might Neeeeein!” Nott exclaimed.

Valyria clenched the coins, nodding with a bit lip. Why were these people so kind? It didn’t make sense, it didn’t make sense they would be so nice to her. She kept her thoughts to herself, following the group down a couple pathways and towards a rather interesting looking shop. There was a subtle shift over most of the group, a glint of excitement among the older members of the Mighty Nein. 


	6. Girl’s Night Out pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Valyria invests in a hurdy gurdy, gets stuck in a magic hamster ball, and the Traveler checks in.
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING:  
> —language  
> —panic attack  
> —mild violence  
> —SPOILERS!(duh)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo! This chapter was so much fun to write (mwehehe). Sorry I didn’t finish it last week, let’s just say I severely underestimated how much getting eight teeth pulled was gonna suck (owie! >.<). Annnnnywhoooooooo, next chapter’s gonna be published next week like regular, so stay tuned!

“Right this way.” Fjord said, holding open a door. There were a couple smirks among the group which was setting Valyria a little on edge. She frowned, but still followed.

It was a homey-looking store with several random, highly-expensive looking items on display—obviously magical. Against one corner of the room, resting on a comfy-looking couch, was a firbolg wearing fine green robes. He was looking down a pair of reading glasses over a book, trunk-ish hands delicately flipping through the pages. He looked up with a pleasant smile on his face, then seemed to recognize everyone and broke into a grin.

“Oh why hello there! It’s been a while, it took me a second to recognize you there.” The firbolg closed the book and stood.

He was just as tall as Caduceus and comparatively very broad shouldered. As they exchanged pleasantries, Valyria couldn’t help but wonder if all firbolgs shared a racial monopoly over all the height genes.

Out from the back emerged a completely identical firbolg, right down to the robes and a blotchy birthmark on the left nostril. She blinked in surprise. She heard about identical twins existing, but this was uncanny!

“Oh do we have folks in here?” The new firbolg asked in an identical voice as the first.

“Yeah don’t worry Pumat I got them taken care of.” The other said as the rest of the group funneled inside. “Oh! There’s even more coming in.”

A look of astonishment crossed over both firbolgs faces as Caduceus meandered inside, ducking his head ever so slightly. Unaware of their surprise he looked around, spotting them for half a second before returning to examine the shop.

“Oh, yeah, cool twins. Right. That’s cool, I like this place this is nice.” He commented. There was a poorly stifled chuckle from Fjord, followed by Beau introducing the shopowner with obvious mirth in her voice.

“Pumat III this is Caduceus. Caduceus, Pumat III.”

Pumat III? Valyria frowned, glancing over the other party members. Caleb was carefully hiding behind an air of disinterest, while Jester and Nott weren’t even trying to mask the obvious kick they were getting out of this. Was there some joke they were all in on that she wasn’t?

As she thought this, Pumat III turned his head and called for someone named ‘Prime’ to step out. Glancing over her shoulder, she froze as she saw yet another identical firbolg step out of the back. He was at least wearing gloves and a set of goggles, so there was at least something distinguishing him from the other two. Something was definitely off.

“What are you talking about—oh my goodness.” Prime stood there agasp.

“You’re all brothers then? There’s three of you,” Caduceus said, “triplets! That’s great, that’s great.” He smiled, unaware of the snickers from behind. Prime blinked a couple times before saying,

“Where are you from? To be perfectly honest, we haven’t really run into any other firbolgs...really, since we came here.” Huh, that didn’t sound lonely.

“Me neither. I’m actually from up north. I’m traveling with these kids, working on uh, something. It’s nice.” He nodded to himself, “How long have you been down here? This is great.”

At that moment, a _fourth_ clone descended from a ladder off on the right side chamber, glancing down at them all.

“Oh is the order getting—oh! It’s a whole party over here!“ He noticed Caduceus. “Hey is that another firbolg?” Pumat III turned to address the approaching newcomer.

“Yeah! There’s one over here.” The one with the book added,

“I’m just impressed, I like the color tones. It’s a great arrangement, visual perspective.”

  
Cadesues and Valyria stood there, both of their mouths hanging open. This….this has got to be an illusion, right? Cadesues was the first to recover.

“I’m uh, impressed by what your mother went through at this point. This is intense.”

Prime cleared his throat, wiping away at some of the ash smeared on his chin.

“Ah, sorry about that, I should clarify.” He waved at the other doppelgängers. “These three are just arcane-based copies of myself. We are all collectively Pumat.”

“Well that’s the best thing I’ve ever seen! That’s just great.” Caduceus grinned, accepting this like it was being double-jointed.

“That’s not a creepy concept…” Valyria muttered, rubbing at the pretend headache growing on her forehead.

They continued talking for a while, descending into a multitude of bargaining and chattering that was making an actual headache begin to form. She had to hand it to Pumat(s?)—they could definitely handle the maelstrom that was the Might Nein.

Less adept despite her time traveling with them, Valyria tried to fight off the oncoming migraine by tuning them out and took to perusing the shelves. Some of the items Pumat already described—a pair of golden gauntlets Beau was trying to haggle a deal out of, a broken sword Cadesues had taken a shine to, and a cloak that Nott kept eyeing when nobody was looking. That was pretty much it. Potions, weapons, a couple sets of armor—nothing really stood out.

Then she noticed something behind a stack of shields. It wasn’t hidden persay, but wasn’t fully displayed either. Being careful to not drop anything, she delicately slid the shields over to get a better look.

An obese violin was her first thought upon seeing the thing. It was some kind of instrument, but nothing she’d ever seen before. The entire body was a chunky cube shape, with a floral-embroidered strap attached to the neck and end. Strings and keys were strung across the neck, though the majority was hidden underneath a polished, wooden chest with cracked, white buttons lining the edge like teeth. It was a little dusty, and there were tiny blemishes in the darkly stained wood, but it was the most beautiful whatever-the-heck-it-was she’d ever seen.

Carefully extricating it from the shelf, she ventured close to the Pumat who was currently busy organizing the shelves.

“Um, excuse me...Pumat II?” She ventured.

“Hm?”

“Do you know what this thing is?” The firbolg turned to look down at her with a casual smile on his face, then noticed the instrument in her hand.

“Oh! Hey that’s a hurdy gurdy! I forgot we had this.” The firbolg picked up the clunky piece of wood, brushing off a little layer of dust. “Are you thinking of buying it?”

“Hurdy Gurdy?” Even the name was funny.

“Yeah, this was actually something Prime bought for himself a while ago, I thought he lost it or something.” Valyria deflated a little bit.

“Oh, s-sorry! I didn’t know that was one of your belongings I thought it was part of the display.” She rambled nervously. Pumat II shook his head, handing it back.

“Oh no, shouldn’t be a problem. Like I said, Prime kinda fell out of interest and put it out for sale a while ago—plus it’s more of a bard instrument anyhow. Gotta attune to it and everything.”

A bard, huh? A sad smile fell across her face. Hungrily her hands hovering across the keys, fingers humming with want.

“Um, how much would this be?” She queried. Pumat II hummed to himself.

“Well let’s see, there’s only a minor enchantment of durability so uh, I’d say that’d put you at 130 gold.”

 _Nope! Nonononono! No thank you!_ Valyria’s gut instantly recoiled at the sound of those numbers. That was almost all of her coin! The survivalist side of her brain screamed for her to abandon the instrument because really...she didn’t need it.

“...could I try it on, really quick?” She asked slowly.

“Why sure! Go ahead and put the strap on your shoulder—oh yeah, just like that.”

Valyria slid the strap across her shoulder easily, resting the instrument against her hip. It fell perfectly against her, unlike her previous dumpster-find. Her hands instinctively rested upon the keys and handle, fingers eager to start playing. After a couple second’s hesitation, she started to fiddle with it.

The noises that came out were...interesting. A series of high pitched whirs and clicking noises as she plucked the buttons and spun the handle that stuck out from the other side. A high pitched whir drawled out from the box, and a series of discordant notes following from the keys as she pressed them. She stopped a couple seconds later, fingers tapping against the neck.

She really, really wanted this now. But it was frivolous! She had no one to teach her, it was clearly going hard, and she didn’t need it. She didn’t want to part with it though... She bit her lip, tail swishing agitatedly.

“I’ll buy it.” She decided, fishing in her coin purse for the money. To the nine hells with being money-smart, she still had far more than she ever had even after this purchase.

“All right, here we go, let me just tune this real quick.” He said, gesturing for her to hand it over.

He fiddled with the handle and strings, opening the box and making sure everything was intact. She asked a couple questions, mainly maintenance and where to buy replacement components. Pumat II easily answered, and finally the exchange of coin was made and the strap was back over Valyria’s shoulder. She smiled as they exited the shop, put a bit more at ease knowing she wasn’t the only one with an expensive purchase.

“So uh, do you know how to play that thing?” Jester asked as Valyria continued to prod the strings.

“No clue.” She echoed distractedly. “But it feels...right. You know?” She looked up with a twinkle in her eye.

“You better not practice that while we're sleeping, got it?” Beau said pointedly. Valyria grinned, tail curling at the idea of mischief.

“I’ll try.”

  
. . . . .

With a new instrument to learn, the next two weeks went by in a snap. She was a little surprised to hear they weren’t immediately setting out on another mission, but she supposed they were taking a much needed rest from the last weeks’ events. Valyria had no problems with this. She was currently renting a room with Beau and Jester in an establishment called the Leaky Tap, with no evident need to go or do...anything really. She had an actual bed, regular meals, and best of all, a roof over her head. With no pressure to find work, the 20 gold resting securely in her coin purse, she devoted most of her time to studying her newfound instrument.

Beau was off doing monk stuff, so she had no problems playing as loud and vocally as she pleased. Or so she thought. After an hour, one of the staff members knocked at her door and ‘politely’ asked her to stop. Valyria rolled her eyes, but didn’t want to get the others in trouble so—with a huff, she strolled to the streets. It was too stuffy indoors anyway.

The first week was pretty uneventful. She’d receive a couple glares or pitying glances, but otherwise left alone. It was fun observing all these people in the Pentamarket, and it didn’t hurt that a couple more ‘charitable’ folks tossed copper her way every now and then.

To her surprise, she was slowly gaining more and more popularity as her skills improved. A small crowd would now gather around whenever she played, and she even had a list of half-decent songs to sing. It was fun, at first. Then worry crept it.

She shouldn’t be garnering so much attention. No matter how much fun she had encouraging others to sing along and make people laugh, it wasn’t worth risking getting caught by her mysterious ‘kidnapper’. Reluctantly, she retired the hurdy gurdy to her room, playing it only every once and awhile.

 _Fuck you rich pedophile, wherever you are!_ She thought bitterly.

That didn’t stop her from roaming though. People-watching was too much fun, and even though she couldn’t participate in many of the activities going around, it was more than enough to keep her entertained. On one of her daily walks, she caught sight of a familiar goblin and tiefling wandering the streets.

She was about to signal them down and say hi, only they suddenly turned a corner and were pressing their backs against the temple of the Platinum Dragon. They were whispering to each other, Jester trying and failing to inconspicuously peak inside. Valyria raised an eyebrow. _Well, this must be interesting._

Deciding it wouldn’t hurt for a little mischief, she ducked in between one of the nearby buildings. Walking quietly along the backways, she turned a roundabout corner to approach them in a way that their backs were turned to her. Her footsteps fell upon deaf ears, neither one hearing her as she crept behind them.

“So, we sneak in and then—“

“Whadderyouupto?” Nott screamed, jumping and turning her crossbow on Valyria. She stepped back, hands up placatingly.

“Oh! Hi Valyria!” Jester said, tension quickly disappearing.

“Hi guys!” She chuckled, clasping her hands behind her back and rolling on the balls of her feet. “So! You said ‘sneaking in’—why? Going on a heist?”

“No! W-we’re not going on a heist!” Jester deflected, neatly avoiding the question. Nott avoided looking at her. Valyria pouted, looking up at Jester with what she knew were irresistible puppy eyes.

“I knooow it might be illegal, but I prooooomise I won’t tell anyone~.” She blinked for extra emphasis. Jester groaned, struggling with puffing her cheeks out before finally deflating.

“Ok, fine…” Haha! Success! Jester tapped her fingers together, her expression deflating.

“Well, my god—the Traveler—is a big fan of pranks and stuff. So...I was thinking…maybe I could prank another gods’ temple so he could like me again.”

The hurt was evident in her voice, taking Valyria aback. Jester rarely showed any form of negativity to the point it worried her. If she was this vulnerable, whatever retaliation she had with her god had to be a sore point. Valyria hummed, wanting to find a way to help.

“So...what are you planning?” She asked.

Jester’s smile turned into a devilish grin. She leaned over and whispered,

“Weeeeell...we’ve been scouting this place for a while now and I’ve got an idea. I’ve already taken firecrackers from a while ago and hidden them inside, so they’ll go off during the sermon.” Oh no.

“And then there’s this giant dragon statue in one of the rooms, aaaand…” she pulled out a couple paintbrushes, as well as a straw hat and fake mustache, “I’m gonna make it a really cool, rainbow farmer!”

Valyria’s eyes went wide. That was...ambitious. Crazy. And a little more than foolish. She eyed the two, knowing they were dead set on this—Jester especially. What would happen if they got caught? What if Nott got caught? She didn’t want to think about it, much less risk it happening.

She chewed her lip contemplatively. Maybe she should keep an eye on them, just in case. She wasn’t going to get herself fully involved—that’d be insane on a whole other level. However, if they were in a tough spot maybe she could pull them out...

  
Who knows? Maybe this could be fun. However…

“Um, maybe not...a rainbow?” She pointed down at the paints. “That’s kinda like chromatic dragons and Bahamut is vehemently against those so, that might be interpreted as like—really crazy bad?” Jester pouted, forcing Valyria to quickly backpedal,

“Like, I understand you want to prank the temple and I wanna help actually! But…maybe not something that’ll be interpreted as a hate crime? People might be more inclined to investigate who’s behind it.” She added emphasis, hoping it’d compel Jester to go about things differently. To her relief it worked. Jester seemed to think about it, looking down at her paintbrushes in thought. After a moment she nodded.

“Okay, I can see how that might be a problem…” she frowned, “Gee, what can I do then? I still wanna do a mustache and funny hat but—it looks so boring!” Valyria paused for a moment, hands held in deep contemplation. She looked up to meet Jester’s gaze with utter seriousness, and in a solemn tone uttered,

“Glitter.”

. . . . .

After a quick stop by a local alchemic shop Valyria wandered inside the house of the Platinum Dragon. It was a small temple, but pretty. The pure white walls were offset by deep blue tapestries and glowing orbs affixed to the ceiling, with marble pillars lining the entrance and hallways. What took center stage however, was a giant silver dragon hanging over the offering table.

Given how late it was in the evening, the temple population was currently sparse, a couple caretakers and random worshipers scattering the area. Valyria took to sitting in one of the pews, tapping her toes nervously as she pretended to be in prayer. As she did this, she occasionally glanced around, trying to spot the fireworks. No such luck.

Ten, twenty minutes later, an elderly gnome shuffled into the corner of her vision. She looked nervous, glancing around until their eyes met. The gnome kept staring at her, prompting Valyria to raise an eyebrow. It made sense the second she opened her mouth,

“Uh, pardon me!” _Nott?_ “All, patrons...I have a request from the uh, holy father himself, that we vacate the premises.” All heads turned in her direction, making Nott shuffle her feet. “Uh, so we can refresh all the holy water. It’s good thirty days and—wouldn’t you know it? Today’s that day. Just...outta the pool for thirty minutes then you can all come back. Just a,” she clapped her hands, looking nervous, “break! Everyone take a break…”

Valyria cringed inwardly, glancing nervously about the crowd. The guests started to awkwardly shuffle out, but the two temple workers glanced at each other. They approached Nott, confused looks on their faces. Valyria braced herself. Slowly pulling out of the chair to duck behind one of the banners.

“I-I’m sorry you said the holy father wants the room...cleared?” The half-elven priest asked dubiously.

An elderly silver dragonborn appeared behind Nott.

“Thank you dear! My assistant did as I asked.” The dragonborn said. “I need some time...Alone in the temple—“ they suddenly started coughing, prompting the priests to grow even more confused.

Putting it together that it was actually Jester, Valyria relaxed a little, followed by a hint of envy. That was a pretty useful trick. She’d have to look into seeing if she could cast that…she shook her head—focus damn it!

“Oh uh, of course! My apologies, your grace.” The human turned to leave, while the half-elf still looked dubious.

“My grace you look so...weary. Perhaps I should stay in case you need help.” He said. Jester/Dragonborn shook her head.

“...I need some quiet time.”

“I’ll be very quiet.”

“No no, no.” Jester/dragonborn waved her hand, gesturing for the priest to leave.

Jester continued to insist they leave, gesturing for them to go while Nott made up a weird excuse. The human nodded obediently, quietly scuffling out and prompting Valyria to hide behind the banister. The half-elf wasn’t as convinced.

“O-of course. Your grace…” The half-elf kept his eyes locked on the two. Slowly he left the chamber, not breaking eye contact until he passed the arched doorway. His footsteps echoed along the hallway, eventually fading. Nott and Jester looked at each other.

“That was perfect!” Nott/gnome said to Jester/dragonborn.

“What the actual fuck was that? There’s no way he’s gonna believe that!” Valyria hissed, poking her head out from behind the tapestry.

“Hey it worked didn’t it?” Nott said. Valyria groaned, stress starting to build in her chest.

“Ok...ok! Let’s get this dragon painted then leave pronto! Alright?” She waved her hands to shake off her nerves, watching Jester cast Duplicity to make a copy of the dragonborn in the center of the pews.

Not knowing what else to do, Valyria positioned herself by the doorway, making sure they were both shut and kept her ear pressed against it. Nott took to watching Jester from behind a column, who had straddled the dragon’s neck and went to start covering it in glue.

By the end of it, the glorious statue of Bahamut was reduced to a glittery-golden nightmare…with a mustache. Jester’s hands were covered, and there was sparkly dust everywhere. Valyria had to admit, it was rather impressive. Good luck to the poor souls who had to clean it up. Jester nodded to herself, plopping on the straw hat before looking down at them.

“What do you think?”

“It’s great!” Nott held a thumbs up.

Valyria—still standing by the door, was the first person to hear the dozen footsteps approaching.

“Uh yes, just this way.” The muffled voice of the half-elven priest echoed out from the keyhole. _Shit!_

“Fuck! Uh—guys!” Valyria hissed, waving to get their attention.

“What?” Nott and Jester turned to her—Jester who was climbing down the tone pillar—and Nott, out of disguise.

“The priest! The priests are coming—they’re at-the-other-sideofthedoorfUCK!”

Valyria stumbled back as the footsteps grew louder. Rolling her hands around frantically, she focused on summoning her magic and felt the tightness press against her chest.  
Just as the door handle began to wobble, energy rocketed out of her fingers and froze it in place. There was a confused scuffle, which turned into pounding against the door, followed by shouting.

“Hey! HEY! Open this door immediately!” The priest shouted.

Fuck fuck fuck fuck—great! No guards, but no exist. And the spell would vanish in a minute—less than that! Valyria glanced around as Jester dropped to the ground, standing next to the duplication of the priest.

“Shit! What do we do now?” She whisper-yelled.

“I don’t know! Run for it?”

“With all those guards outside?” Valyria shrieked. Nott nodded vigorously before screaming and charging towards the door.

“Uhhhhh, uhh, hold on!” Valyria grabbed Nott by the scruff of her shirt, yanking her back before she could run face-first into the immobile door.

“Let’s hide! Yeah, hide—then run when they’re distracted!” She said, pulling herself and Nott to duck under the pew nearest to the door. She frantically pulled her scarf and hood around her face, being the only one there unable to hide her appearance. This was going great.

“Oh yeah yeah yeah! Hold on a sec!” Jester made the illusion walk to be directly under the statue, then ducked into the opposing pew.

It was then Valyria felt a dissonant ‘pop’ and the doors were thrust open. The half-elf priest, followed by another priest and three crownsguard funneled into the room. Nobody took notice of the three of them, hiding in the pews.

“They’re in here—wait, what?”

“By Bahamuet!”

The onlookers were momentarily stunned, gazing up horrified at the bedazzled dragon statue. One of the priest’s went pale. The half-elf stumbled back, clutching at his chest before spotting the illusion of the head priest. Valyria had to hold back from laughing at their reactions as the half-elf stormed over.

“You! How dare you deface our holy temple!” He roared. The illusion said nothing, staring blankety as two of the guards went to flank it. Jester and Valyria glanced at each other.

“On three.” Jester mouthed holding up three fingers, still disguised as the Dragonborn. The guards moved to grab the illusion but their hands fell through.

“One, two…”

“What the?” The head priest scowled, then started to turn his head—

“Now! Go go go!” Jester whisper-yelled. They ran.

“Hey— _hey_ hold it!”

As they passed through the doorway a painful shockwave buried into Valyria’s back, flinging her forward. Only she didn’t hit the ground. A pale white bubble caught her fall, only she realized that it was surrounding her, holding her in place. In a panic, she tried to cast something to undo it. Nothing. She turned her head, trying to seal the door. Nothing again. Her face paled. Oh no, she couldn’t freeze the door!

“You two— _th-three_! Stop right there!” One of the crownsguard shouted as Nott was trying to shove one of the doors closed.

“Just leave it!” Jester crowed, then turned to Valyria. “Hold on!”

“Wuaaaaaagh!” Valyria screamed as Jester and Nott rolled her across the hallway. In their panic the ball started bouncing, meaning every second she’d go up then hit the ground.

“Ow-ow-ow—OW!” She screamed. They came upon a split in the corridor, with two averting pathways. One full of candlelight and the other dark.

“Go right! Right!” Valyria shouted. They veered to the side, crownsguard and priests following suit.

“Uh, can you get out of there?” Nott asked, poking the bubble. Valyria shook her head.

“What do you think?” Unfortunately, the chosen room of escape happened to be a storage closet.

“Oh shit!” Jester skittered to a stop, but Valyria slipped out of her grasp.

Screaming as she rolled down the hallway with Nott, who turned to look with panic at Jester. Jester muttered something and a wave of pink energy erupted from her eyes, echoing through the eyes of the three crownsguard. The one holding her released her, and the other said,

“Apparently there’s someone masquerading as you, have you seen where this person went?” Valyria’s mouth fell open. _No way!_ Jester shrugged,

“We’ve been looking for them everywhere...haven’t found them yet. Maybe go to that room on the other side of the hallway?” She said in her fake elderly voice, shrugging her arms up. “Of course. We’ll go join the others.” A guard nodded, and the three of them trotted off. Valyria gaped. Nott started rolling Valyria out of the storage room, glancing over her shoulder to watch them leave.

“That was amazi—“

“Keep going don’t stop!” Jester heaved Valyria with newfound strength and she was tumbling again. By now she was starting to feel sick. In the distance she could hear the priest say,

“No no what are you doing here—that was them you—guagh! Go _that way_ you fools!”

“I think—they’re still—ow! Coming!” Valyria whined. They skittered to a halt.

“Uuuuuuuuh, this is awkward.” Nott muttered, spotting the other guards, accompanied by the real head priest in what looked like his sleeping garments. He was disgruntled, confused, muttering,

“What is going on here—“ he noticed the three of them and pointed, “whaaat?”

“It’s them! Stop them!” The half-elf priest shouted.

They continued running, hearing approaching footsteps from up ahead. There were two exists, but also the bystanders Nott sent out. And two other crownsguard.

“Oh nooooo!!!!” Nott screamed. Alarmed, Valyria started pounding against the bubble, unable to do anything.

“Any ideas guys?” She said, guards catching up from behind and the two up front rushing forth.

“Uhhhh, _mirror image_!” Jester shouted. Seven full sized dragonborn burst around them. They ran out around the room, screaming and distracting the onlookers as they dashed to the nearest exit.

Out into the open, Jester and Nott rolled Valyria into the adjacent street. From behind she could hear them shouting.

“There he is!”

“Why are there so many of them?”

“What’s going on?”

“I think we should—“ She was cut off by a loud pop, and all of a sudden she was free! Nott fell on top of her, followed by Jester. In a panic, the three of them scrambled to get up as the guards started filing outside. Valyria looked up, squeaking,

“Scatter!”

Nott ran into a distant alley. Jester barreled through the opposing street. Valyria started levitating.

“What the—?” The guards froze, gobsmacked. Valyria wobbled, eyes glowing bright purple as she shot into the sky. She laughed a little, trying to stay upright as she hovered over to one of the nearby buildings.

“Goodnight! Sorry for the inconvenience—you can wash it all off if you waaaaant!!!” She shouted, before ducking out of sight.

There was no way they could follow her. Continuing to float for another ten minutes, she zoomed with ease across the rooftops. On the ninth minute her vision started blurring out, and for a split second she was pulled out of her body. Alarmed, she quickly hovered to the ground, into an abandoned alley, before cutting the spell completely.

Landing with a soft ‘fwoop!’, the only one who noticed her was a stray house cat. It hissed before bounding off, leaving her absolute silence to reconcile what just happened.  
She stared at her hands. They were shaking, adrenaline still rocketing through her. It was getting hard to breath and she crumpled to her knees, eyes darting around. A small giggle escaped her lips, and she took a deep breath to release a full-throated laugh.

She survived! By the stars how did that happen? They were so close to getting caught—she was so close to getting arrested—but it didn’t matter! They actually pulled it off. Still giddy, she wobbled to her feet and focused on relaxing her breath.

She had to get back to the Leaky Tap, the others would be waiting there and she didn’t want them to worry. For half a second she panicked, fearing they were caught, but she shook her head. No, they were smart. They could hide if they needed to.

Her worries were abated when she reached the tavern. Nott and Jester were alright, illusions down and about to set on a manhunt before she wandered inside. That was followed by a quick interrogation about when she could fly, one she quickly dodged in favor of getting food. The night quickly dwindled to normal after that, them all eating a big meal where Nott drank herself to passing out, leaving only her and Jester.

“Man, what a night.” Valyria sighed, stretching herself out on the table and pushing her plate away. She winced slightly, a painful creak from her back reminding her of where she got hit from that bubble spell.

“Hey, Valyria…” Jester said slowly from the other side of the table. She looked up, seeing a faint hint of concern on her face.

“Yes? What’s up?” She asked.

“Are you sure you’re ok? That spell didn’t look like it felt very nice and, well, you didn’t get hurt right?” She was clearly worried. Valyria paused for half a second before shaking her head, smiling.

“No, it’s fine! It just really startled me, you know—getting put in a giant hamster ball and all that!” She shot up and mimed a ball, ignoring the pain in her back.

Sure Jester could heal her, but she had genuine fun that night, Jester’s problem seemed to be fixed, and they were all ok in the end. The last thing she was gonna do was make Jester feel guilty after such a high. She smiled for extra emphasis. Jester visibly relaxed, matching her smile with one of her own.

“Thank the Traveler! I’m glad you’re ok.” She said.

“Do you think you’re in his favor again?” Valyria cautiously questioned. Jester’s smile faltered a little and she winced. _Damn it! Way to use your fat mouth!_

“Um, well, I hope so…” Jester said, lacking the confidence she normally did.

“Well I think so.” Valyria added quickly, patting her on the arm before whispering, “Come on, you can’t get better than glitter—it _never_ goes away! I’d like to see anyone else top that.”

  
Jester giggled, the light returning to her face.

“Yeah, you’re totally right! It’ll take forever to clean up!” She giggled.

 _That’s better._ Valyria leaned back and sighed. Mission accomplished, she stood up and stretched, stiffing a yawn as she extricated herself from the table.

“Well, I’m gonna go bathe—don’t wait up on me.”

“Ok! Goodnight Valyria!” Jester called after her as she walked off.

“Night!”

. . . . . 

Jester closed the door to her room with a sigh. Beau was gone, and Valyria was still in the baths, giving her free reign of their three-bedded living quarters. She flopped onto her bed, moaning a little as she stretched out from the tips of her fingers to her tail. What a day. As much fun as pranking the temple was in the moment, she was exhausted. She should have felt proud, or at least little happy with the feat she pulled off, but all she felt right now was hollow. Numb. 

Did she do enough? The Traveler hadn’t said anything, hadn’t made his presence known. Was he still upset with her? Was he ever going to talk to her again? Her eyes started watering at the thought, and she sat upright. No, no he wouldn’t be gone forever. He couldn’t! Right?

Then why didn’t he come? That question had been plaguing her these past two weeks, lurking in the back of her mind. He was always there for her when she needed him, but he wasn’t there that day. He didn’t come to save her when she and the others were kidnapped. And Molly…

The tears started leaking, like they’d been threatening to the past couple days. She choked them back. She didn’t want to make everyone feel worse, didn’t want them to see how much everything really affected her. She was supposed to be the ‘fun happy cleric’, supposed to bring a smile to everyone’s face—she couldn’t show them how deeply this was cutting her. She was good at lying, so maybe if she just told herself she was fine it’d eventually be true.

It was then she felt a presence, a faint chill in the air that sent her hair standing on end. Her head spun around, seeing the familiar dark green cloak of the Traveler. Her throat tightened.

“Hi.” She breathed. 

. . . . . 

Artagan had done his best to console his little acolyte. The first couple days he thought everything would be fine, that she would heal and move on. Clearly that wasn’t the case, and he did own some smidge of the blame. It wasn’t like abandoned her, he did _try_ to help. He pointed her friends in the right direction after all, but that was not enough. She needed…reassurance. Not exactly his strongest ability.

Eventually it worked, he even managed to coax a small smile from her. Her eyes still a bit watery, but her heart was once more at peace. It did mean he’d have to now arrange a meeting for all his other acolytes. How droll…

As much as he wished to focus primarily on her wellbeing, there was something he needed to check.

“Do you think...I can have a look at that strange relic?” He asked, tilting his head slightly.

“Which one? We found a lot of relics.” Jester asked, noticing how his gaze never left the haversack.

“The one you procured from that Xhorhasian warrior.” He explained.

“Oh the box? Yeah, of course!” 

Artagan watched as she shuffled through the bag, hiding the true extent of his focus. That relic caught his interest the moment he caught sight of it from the Xorhasian infiltrator, and now was a chance to finally interact with it ‘in person’ as it were. This item...it did hold a small glimmer of familiarity, a memory forgotten long ago. What was it again? He knew there was...some importance, at the very least someone he knew held it in high regard. That knowledge escaped him though. And that was interesting.

Unexpectedly, the dodecahedron was glowing. A miniature star that was pulsing in-tuned to a heartbeat. Jester winced, holding it at a distance with a frown.

“Huh, that’s weird.” Jester commented, squinting a little at the pulsing light. His eyebrow raised. _That_ was definitely interesting.

He went to pick it up, resulting in a flare of energy lashing out. Artagan instantly recoiled, a cold memory stabbing into his mind. He recoiled, yanking his hand back like it had bit him. Ah, so it was one of _those_.

“Are you ok?” Jester panicked, dropping the dodecahedron and reaching to him. He held up a hand, holding her back, and shook his head. There was a moment of internal contemplation before his attention was turned to his little acholite, who was so adorably looking up at him with worry in her eyes. He smiled, casting the memory aside. 

“Nothing, nothing. Nothing of the sort.” He playfully booped her nose, earning an uneasy giggle from her part. “Though I think it is best you put that back.” 

“Right, right.” Cautiously Jester picked up the cube, which held no adverse reaction to her. She slid it inside, and the air in the room relaxed once the latch was closed.

“Why do you think that happened?” Jester asked. Artagan shrugged.

“Who knows?” He said ambiguously. Jester smiled.

“You know what it is, don’t you?” He returned the smile with a smirk.

“Perhaps...perhaps.” He paused, considering. Maybe a little hint couldn’t hurt, considering how dangerous it was. 

“Is it something about, having _babies_ or something? I can’t remember what the guy said.” Jester continued, earning a soft sigh from him.

“In a way, I think. I recognize this, though I do not have a true understanding of what it is capable of, or its true nature.” He said with complete honesty. His eyes flickered to her and he held up a finger.

“A word of warning: be careful. Things that are unknown are notably able to draw dangerous and inquiring eyes and minds…”

“So I should keep it hidden?” She took the message easily.

“I think you should.” She nodded.

“I’ll keep it in this pink bag—it’s _very_ discreet.” He nodded, though was faintly distracted by something. It was strange alright for a Luxeon Beacon to be reacting this way. Normally it lied dormant, but something must be agitating it if it could lash out at _him_. How curious. Perhaps it meant….?

For a second he felt tempted to reach out and search, to prove his theory correct but decided against it. It didn’t matter to him, not anymore. It wasn’t like he could succeed anyhow. Best to not stir...unwanted attention. Instead he turned back to Jester, allowing himself to smile. 

Yes. No point in tempting fate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A majority of the early story has Valyria in a pretty negative headspace due to what she’s been through, but I really wanted to show off her more jovial traits cause she’s not as depressed most of the time. Let’s see if the party can’t crack through Valyria’s shell some more, hm?
> 
> And yes, I know technically there isn’t a doorway to the actual worship room, but I really wanted to show off some of Valyria’s magic.


	7. Quest of Inheritance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mischief managed, the party reassembles to discuss their plans for the future.
> 
> Song Valyria plays: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmFQewEv9g8 
> 
> The music she hears: https://youtu.be/8wLwxmjrZj8 
> 
> Alternative title: Hm, everything’s hunky dory happy right now, let’s go change that.
> 
> Song Valyria plays: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmFQewEv9g8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning:  
> —Mention of Nightmares  
> —Mild Language  
> —Poop jokes  
> —SPOILERS!(duh)
> 
> Ok! Up till now I’ve been writing this fanfic by the seat of my pants with no seriousness goal in mind other than angst-y fluff. But! That’s gonna all change now and this chapter marks the beginning of the serious plot.

Valyria was used to having nightmares. Ever since she was taken, she’d be visited by the memories of her time in the Sour Nest. Those dreams were easier to deal with now since the source of her night terrors were gone, but every once in a while she’d experience something on a whole other level. 

It always came with the sense of drowning, of shadows coiling around and trapping her somewhere deep and dark. There were whispers, screams. Millions of voices that drowned out her own discordant thoughts. Voices that continued to grow louder and more frantic until—

“No!” Valyria woke up gasping, hysteria wracking her body when she couldn’t see anything. She writhed, still restrained by some unseen force. She shot upright, smacking the back of her head into a wall. 

That sudden jab of pain gave her enough clarity to realize she wasn’t in any real danger, just tangled in her bedsheets. She scrambled out of the suffocating mess, sweat beading on her forehead. Quickly glancing around, she assured herself she was still at the inn. Her eyes caught on Jester snoring soundly on the opposite side of the room, despite the light of late morning spilling in from the window. 

“It’s just another dream…” Valyria told herself, scratching at her wrist and sighing. 

Not for the first time she tried and failed to remember the nightmare. It was surreal. Every time she experienced it she was so sure she would remember everything, but now even its echos were fading into obscurity. The fear it left though, was real enough. 

Groaning, she closed her eyes and rested her head against the headboard for a solid five minutes. Trying to get over the pointless sense of urgency. She was successful, to an extent. Her hands still shook. Eventually she grew restless and decided some food would be a good distraction. So she got dressed, braided some of her hair so it stayed out of her eyes, and splashed cold water on her face. 

She paused for a moment to nitpick at her reflection. She smiled a little. There was some roundness returning to her cheeks, though the dark circles still remained. Her smile faded as she scratched at her forehead, frowning a little at the amount of freckles she was accumulating over the past week. Maybe she should invest in some sunscreen.

Some noise from below shifted her attention, and she became acutely aware of the smell of food wafting from below. Her stomach growled. 

No time like the present! Marching downstairs, she weaved her way through the somewhat busy tavern and found where she and Nott usually ate. Much to her surprise, everyone was there, even Fjord! Almost immediately he ran off to take care of some ‘personal matters’, with no hint that he’d ever come back! She found herself smiling, relieved to see his weary face. He noticed her, and waved her over to the table.

“Morning kid!” He said, knocking back something caffeinated and looking as exhausted as she felt.

“-‘orning!” She yawned, sliding into a spot next to Nott and grabbing one of the muffins sitting in the middle of the table. 

Her fingers dug into the doughy bread, steam curling out from the cracked surface. Her eyes lit up. So fresh! She hummed contentedly as she took a bite, the taste of caramelized walnuts and dried dates dancing in her mouth. Heavenly.

“An uneventful two weeks for everyone, I assume?” Fjord asked, his voice still a bit groggy. 

A half-hearted chorus of yeses followed—clearly so was everyone else. She glanced about the table, noticing the number of mysterious bruises all over Beau’s exposed skin. Her gaze drifted down to Nott, who kept rattling her fingers together—a tell that something was on her mind. Valyria stayed quiet, not wanting to risk spilling out what happened last night. 

“I got a lot of reading done.” Caleb said half-heartedly.

“Oh that’s good.” Fjord nodded. 

“I can punch ghosts now.” Beau blurted, earning raised eyebrows from everyone.

“A lot of ghosts need punching?” Caduceus questioned.

“Have you ever met a ghost that doesn’t need punching?” Beau countered.

“Have you even met a ghost?” Valyria asked innocently, swallowing another bite of muffin.

“I just know if I saw a ghost I would want to punch it! Ghosts are scary.” Beau defended, pouting a little that no one was impressed. Fjord nodded a little, not taking the statement too seriously before turning to Nott,

“What about you?” Nott didn’t look suspicious at all as she drummed her fingers on the table and avoided meeting Caleb or Fjord’s eye.

“Oh, you know...drinking and thinking….”

“Drinking and thinking?” Valyria echoed with a raised eyebrow. She could really get better at lying.

“Drinking and thinking.” Nott nodded, taking this as an opportunity to sip from her flask.

“And you kiddo? Everything good?” Fjord asked.

There was a rush of anxiety as she thought he somehow knew she was having nightmares. She tensed, not wanting to annoy them with something stupid like that. Scrambling for an idea, she said the first thing that crossed her mind and immediately regretted it, 

“Uh, Jester Nott and I defaced a temple!” _No! That was even worse!_ She wanted to punch herself in the face. At least it was loud enough nobody outside the table could’ve heard her. 

That earned a resound chorus of ‘what’s?’ and ‘the fuck?’ from the group. Nott spat her drink all over the table, barely missing Caduseus’s plate. Valyria chuckled nervously.

“Before you say anything it was Jester’s idea! A-and Nott’s!” She pointed a finger accusingly at the goblin. _Sorry Nott._

“Whaat? No! I would never—“ Valyria made a face, “...do that without good intentions.” Nott amended. Caleb was rubbing his face. 

“Wait, that graffiti on the Platinum Dragon temple was you guys?” Bea said, a shit-eating grin spreading across her face. Well. At least someone was taking it well.

“The criers have been shouting about it nonstop all morning! What if you get caught?” Caleb hissed, narrowing his eyes at the duo. Caduceus seemed vehemently concerned, his eyes darkening with disapproval. Valyria winced. That was a scary look.

“I-I mean, well…” she continued to curl in on herself.

“Jester and I were disguised the whole time, and Valyria barely got involved! She just waited outside to make sure if Jester and I got in trouble we could get out, and she didn’t need to do _anything_!” Nott rose to her defense.

Valyria glanced at the goblin in surprise. She didn’t need to lie on her behalf! Especially after she just dragged her in on this. A warm feeling stirred in her chest, followed by guilt. She wasn’t sure if she liked the fact that Nott was lying to her friends just to get some heat off of her. 

The table relaxed, though Caleb seemed to age two more years. Okay, dubious thoughts about Nott’s lying skills, retracted. She made a mental note to thank her when they had a moment of privacy. For now, she bumped her leg and shot her a thankful smile.

“Just be careful next time…” Caleb said to Valyria with a raised eyebrow.

“I don’t plan on being present for a next time.” She said honestly, then sighed. 

Well, that was a success. It bothered her though how easily she could have been read. She wondered how she could improve at keeping secrets, worried that this could be a potential weakness others would exploit. Ruzza definitely had no problems with that.

She winced at that memory, tightening her hands into fists under the table. She gritted her teeth, forcing air slowly through her nose along with that woman’s face. 

“W-what about you Fjord?” Valyria turned to the half-orc, trying to distract herself. “You were gone for a while, did anything interesting happen?” Fjord shifted in his seat, reaching into his pack and pulling out a familiar gold-sealed envelope.

“I have a request, actually.” He said, unfolding and looking over it. “Upon further inspection of this here letter, while I have no idea who Marius Lepw-lepa-lepu—“

“LePual?” Valyria offered.

“ _LePual,_ or Evantica or any of this is, this was supposed to be delivered by the end of this month to the Wayfarer’s Cove.”

“Where’s that?” Nott asked.

“The Menagerie Coast, it’s where Jester and I are from.” Fjord explained.

“And you don’t know any of these people?” Beau questioned.

“No, I don’t.” He went back to studying the letter. 

“Do…you want us to go there with you?” Valyria asked, putting it together that he’d want some familiar faces nearby if he was going to get tangled in with whoever had a bounty on his stomach stone. It was… kind of smart to go after them rather than wait for them to find him, but it was still a reckless move. He nodded at her.

“I’m actually looking for someone and had been meaning to head back that way, anyway. If this is taking us in that direction, or at the very least it’ll teach us anything about the, you know.” He grunted, gesturing to his chest.

“Is that a peach pit or something?” Caduceus asked, glancing at the drawing.

“An abused cantaloupe.” Caleb quickly answered.

“An angry marble.” Bea said.

“Malevolent eyeball?” Valyria offered. Caduceus blinked.

“I don’t know why that’s somehow weirder than an abused cantaloupe.” 

“Ill-tempered bowling ball.” Nott said sagely, earning a sudden burst of laughter from the table. Fjord was rolling his eyes.

“Either way I don’t feel comfortable with it residing in my,” Fjord gestured to his chest again, “person.”

“How so?” Valyria encouraged.

From there, Fjord began to recount his story in earnest. Of how he used to be a sailor and caught one of the crew members (Sebain was his name) blowing up the ship. How he was washed ashore with the falcon and newfound powers, and of the loss of his captain and mentor. Then he began to describe his powers, his…visions of an unknown entity that gave him power, and told him to learn. To search. To consume. Then—to put her and Caduceus up to speed—during one of the group’s quests he found the orb, which he then proceeded to absorb into his chest. Not weird or unsettling at all.

The entire time he recounted Valyria noticed his story he seemed...lost. Conflicted. This magic, his past, all of it was rife with uncertainty and it was clear he didn’t know exactly what he wanted to do at this point. Boy she knew how that felt. 

“So, are you wanting to find a way to...remove whatever contract you have with the sword? Or are you trying to find out why Verdrian had it in the first place?” She finally offered, hoping the question might help steer him to whatever conclusion he was looking for.

“I-I honestly don't know.” He stammered. “I’ve thought about what it was like before I had this….” he quickly summoned the falcon, staring at it for a long moment before dispelling it.

“Life was simple, but I don’t feel like I had the ability to affect my surroundings. I was not a proponent of change...it’s selfish, but I feel like I can _do_ things right now. I don’t know if I would get rid of it but I want to know what happened to him. I owe him that much.” 

Valyria found herself nodding in agreement. It was at this point Jester slid into one of the empty chairs, yawning tiredly. Caleb turned and gave her a nod of acknowledgement.

“Oh, good morning.” He whispered.

“Ahh it was a long night.” She yawned. Valyria smirked. “What are you guys talking about?”

“Our next destination.” Caleb answered. 

“Fjord’s angry marble in his chest.” Beau said unhelpfully, earning a slightly confused ‘oh’ from the still sleepy cleric. Fjord elaborated,

“Yeah, I was thinking that if you wouldn’t be opposed, we could go back to the Menagerie Coast. Maybe stop by your mom's place in Nicodranis.” That woke her up. Jester’s ears perked at the mention of her mother and she grinned excitedly, tail swishing behind her, then reeled back.

“Well, I mean I would have to like, disguise myself but we could probably go there.”

“Disguise yourself?” Valyria repeated.

“Well, I can’t go back home.” She blinked. That was a new piece of information.

“Uh, why?” Jester grinned.

“Let’s just say some powerful people won’t be too happy to see me—” she turned sharply to Fjord, “but if you want to go to the Menagerie Coast, you know I’m always on board for that—but what about the Academy?” Fjord sighed,

“Yeah, I was telling them I feel like it isn’t exactly what I need; I just need to take steps in the right direction, does that make sense?” At this point Caduceus leaned over, pointing at the letter.

“Also to deal with his little, uh,” he waved his fingers, prompting Fjord to pick it up.

“Yeah, the letter does say the Wayfarer’s Cove and it says it’s supposed to be delivered by the end of this month, so I feel like there’s some urgency if we’re going to capitalize on intercepting...this.”

“For what it’s worth, Fjord,” Caleb said slowly, not taking his eyes out of his mug, “Soltryce Academy normally starts with younger students—not exclusively, but, generally.” He rubbed at his arm, his voice a little distant.

“Oh, I hadn’t realized…What if you show up with inherent abilities?” Caleb shrugged.

“I don’t know.” 

“I mean, you don’t want to give…” Beau hesitated, “I think, whatever gifts you’ve been given they’re natural and progressive. I mean, figure that out on your own first. You don’t want to give them back, right?”

Valyria was too distracted by the way Caleb was avoiding eye contact with the rest of the table to focus on the conversation, currently picking at his bandaged arm. She frowned. That look on his face was worrying. It was dark and...hollow. He’d been in such a good mood right up till this point, what could have affected him so jadedly? Was there something he didn’t like about the Solstress Academy? 

“—maybe you have to poop it out!” Jester’s words yanked her out of her thoughts. She whirled on the rest of the table, seeing a teasing look on Jester’s face while Fjord’s eyebrows were trying to fly off his forehead.

“Poop it out?” He echoed.

“Yeah, like passing a stone.” Nott said.

“It would really hurt—but it could happen.” Jester added. She realized belatedly they were still talking about the orb. 

“It could also come out of his pee-pee hole.” Nott ‘whispered’. Valyria choked on her spit and started to cough.

“Kidney stones.” Beau nodded. 

Fjord was trying his best not to smile. And failing. She could see the edges of his lips twitching behind the fist he was hiding his face behind. 

“You never know.” Jester continued. “Maybe somebody else has already done what you did and they already pooped it out, and now it’s in _you_.”

“And then I ate the poop stone.” Fjord broke with a grin. “Yep. Didn’t wash it off or nothing.”

“Yep.” Jester nodded, emphasizing the P.

“WeIl it was underwater though so—“

“That’s true that’s probably why it was underwater.”

“We all agreed then, that Fjord eats poop.” Came a little voice from Caleb. He was smiling a little, hands now folded over the table as everyone laughed. Valyria relaxed, glad he was out of...whatever that was. 

“Anyway,” Valyria finished chuckling, trying to refocus the conversation, “Menagerie Coast then? It sounds fun.” 

“Yeah, I mean, if you still plan on following us.” Beau added with a raised brow. Valyria raised her own, accompanying it with a shrug.

“It’s not like there’s anything else to do.” She said, trying to play it off in a similar manner that the monk would say. “Besides, I kind of owe you something for letting me stay with the group for so long.”

“You know you don’t owe us anything, right?” Beau countered, looking like she was studying her. Valyria frowned.

“If you don’t want me to go with you guys you can just tell me. I won’t get upset.” At those words a heavy air hung over the table. Glances were shared among the adults, and Valyria bit her lip.

She tensed, bracing herself for the adventurers to finally come to their senses and cut her loose. She wouldn’t mind if they did, it was going to happen eventually so it might as well be now. She hoped her expression was neutral, an even stare as she tried to read the permanent scowl on Beau’s face. Unfortunately, her resting-bitch-face was impossible to crack.

Fjord was the first one to speak. He stumbled over his words a little, clearly taken aback by something,

“I would, personally, appreciate it if you came with us.” 

“We stick together.” Nott echoed.

“Well, after what we have been through in the last month, it’d seem foolish to split up now.” Caleb met Fjord’s eyes, officially shifting the mood and topic off her back. “I am curious about the Menagerie Coast.”

That was followed by unanimous agreement that they’d all help too. Nott was a little reluctant, worried about the ‘things’ Caleb wanted to do up north and their friend Yasha finding them, but she was eventually convinced. 

Valyria sighed, releasing the breath she was unconsciously holding. Well, it seems she bought herself a little more time with them at least. It was a lie, thinking she was ready to leave. Her hands were still shaking under the table at that thought. Really, she wanted to stay with the adventures for as long as possible, and it wasn’t because they could protect her or offer her shelter. 

Loud, crude, and more than a dash of crazy—they were genuinely fun people to be around! They were kind too, far too kind than she deserved. After a lifetime of living on her own, it was nice to be with people she’d like to call friends. People she could relax around. Even if she knew it was going to end eventually. 

Still, no point in worrying about the future. She picked up her half-eaten muffin and quickly finished eating, not wanting to hold back the group from leaving after breakfast.

. . . . . 

They saddled up and left the gates soon after, the southern hills stretching across the main road. The ground was slick with melted snow and mud that quickly caked the bottom of the cart and horses, but the air was clear and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. 

Caleb and Caduceus were up in the front, and Fjord rode one of the horses, with everyone else piled in the invisible cart. Jester was already doodling in her sketchbook while Nott was settling in for a nap. Beau, as per usual, was lounging against the edge of the cart with that characteristic scowl on her face. Valyria rode in the back with her legs dangling over the edge, fingers drumming along the spine of her hurdy gurdy as she watched the city disappear over the horizon. 

“So, got any songs you can play on that thing?” Beau asked after a while. Valyria blushed.

“W-well, kind of.” She admitted sheepishly, turning to the group. It had unfortunately been a minute since she last practiced. “I’ve got…two songs down at least.” Beau nodded.

“OooOooh, any lyrics?” Jester was intrigued. 

“Oh noooooo. No not yet.” She lied. Actually, she had about ten songs by now. However, there was a BIG difference between singing for a bunch of strangers, and a bunch of people she personally knew. For some reason it felt more embarrassing.

“Alright, let’s hear it.” Beau said, sitting up a little straighter.

“You sure? It’s really not that good.” She warned.

“Why not? You spent a hundred-something on that thing, do you really wanna not use it?” Beau challenged. Well, she had her there. Valyria sighed.

“Alright, suit yourself…”

Whirring the strings to life, she started plucking at the keys and jerking the handle back and forth. She’d learned a while ago that it caused a tiny pause in the sound consistency, allowing her another tool to create different noises. The song was brief, barely forty-five seconds, and by the time she was done Bea’s scowl had deepend.

“Huh, kinda sounds like a dying duck.” She said bluntly. Valyria barked out a laugh.

“Yeah! Kind of.” She smiled sheepishly, repositioning the instrument in her lap. “I’ve got a _long_ way to go, so I hope you don’t mind me practicing while we travel. Don’t wanna put my money to waste~” She wiggled her eyebrows at the monk, and proceeded to play another tune.

Beau grimaced, but said nothing. Choosing to cross her arms and stare stoically out into the road. There was some movement up in the front, causing Valyria to look up and see Caduceus turning to face the inside of the cart.

“—Hey, Miss Jester? Apparently you picked up something in Zadash—I’m supposed to see the ‘thingy’ in your bag?” He said uncertainly. Jester made a worried face, a face that made Valyria stare with concern at the haversack.

“Which thingy?” She asked in a voice that wasn’t helping things.

“I don’t know, Caleb was being very shifty about it.”

“There’s some really questionable thingies in here, but you can see them if you want.” They started rifling through the bag, Caduceus tilting his head at the unmentionable horrors hidden inside.

“—what is that?” 

“You don’t want to know.”

“Is that even natural?”

“Shh—Oh! Hey Caleb was this the thingy?” Jester seemed to find what they were looking for, fishing out a purple box. 

Valyria froze mid-key, a cold vibration shuddering through her. She frowned, hearing...[something](https://youtu.be/8wLwxmjrZj8%20). A low, melodious humming, vibrating in the back of her head. A strange music, a song without words. It was comforting, almost.

Her eyes drifted over to Caduceus, who was staring deeply into the dodecahedron. She found herself being pulled into its light. The music grew clearer, brighter. Louder. The edges of her world seemed to fade as something...strangely familiar crawled into her mind…

.̵̢͓̘͚̖̫̹̭̥̹͇̜̮̥̦̹̣̳̻͎̞̼͖̬͕̯̱̓̀̀͜ͅ.̷̨̡̧͈̣̞̮̠̹̥̺͚͙̗̮̻̻͙̮̬̖̫̱̺͓̮̝̪͊.̷̢̖͓͈͍̣͚͖̭̭̳̞̪̣̦̖̥͓̤̪̲̦͍͒̃̊͂͘ͅŗ̴͇͈̬̬̱̣̳̺̻̗͖̯͕̞̫͚͙͖̰͚̬͖̣̮̳̩̻̘̿͛̀̊̈́͋͆̽͂̓̀͂́̿̃̆͑̂͑́͌͗͂̑̀͆̂̚͘͝͠ͅȩ̷̢͈̦͉̪͍̝̻͙̤̱̘͚̲͙̣͍͐͆̐̔͒̊̽͌̕̕͜ͅm̶̢̥̭̝̤̊̉͂͜b̸͚͚̺͓̭̟̯̗̺̠͚̱̖̙̏͂̈́̔̐͗̇ḙ̶̛̗̳̣̥͔͕͓̬̱̰̐́̂̅̉̀̋̈́̑̄͛͊͛̓͊͐̐̍̄̓̾̽͒͊̈́̊̑̊̽̿̕̕͘̕͜͝͝͠ŗ̵̧̭̟̹̹̖̜̭̣̞̞̯̹̫̙̳͔̲̠͐̀̈̿͌̀̏̋̀́̏̿͌̓̚—̷͍̦̬͚̰̘͔͔͈͉̲̦̗̯̘̠̼͉̰̰͓͐̅̑̔̽̉̿͜͠k̷̡̡̡̛̛̲̞̫̥̥̳̺͙̼̼͖̳̗͖̲̦̮̩̲̰̰͚̠̲̘̻̒͌̒̈́̽̈͂͋̄̀̀̏̍̎̓͂́̾̃̚͜͜ͅͅ—̶̡̭̯̭͖͕̍̔̂̏͘̚o̵͖͕̦̲̟̣̝̹̐̔̔͐̿́̓̕͝ͅẇ̸̤͎͉͉̲͕̗͇̭͎͙̥̻̤̣̫͔̣͚̻̳̭̱̟̤̉͆͒̋̇̉̐̇̐̿̍͌̈́̄̇͑͛̏͗͑́̓̍̿͋͌̾̚͘͝͠ͅ ̴̨̧̢̛̤̞̙̗̼͉̬͔̙̟͍͎̝̣̪̜̺̹͉̣̱̘̳̯͗̽́̈̈́̆̓̍̊̈͒̐̇̾͗̈́͐̅̋͘͠y̷̡̧̬̬͔̤̩͈͎͐̉̇̿̓̓̽͒͗̓̿̍̉̉̉̽͂̓̓̚͘͘͜͝͠͝ͅõ̸̢̧̘͇̞͚̬͕̬͉̘̲̝͖̟̀́͜ͅu̸̘͈̼͖̪̣̣̱̹̞̘͚̹̤͙̙̼̯͓̺͔̘͕̟̖͊͛͗̍̀͌̅̽̐́̈̋̇̓̓̍̐͌̚̕̕̚͝͝͠͝?̴̛̮̖̬̞̭͕̗̫̺̗̝͍̳͍̻͎̐͛̈̋̃̽̀̆̋̈́͌̀̈́͗̀̐̈̿͂̈̒̔̒̽̌̍̈́̂̂̎̋̕̕͘͝͠͝ͅͅ ̵̢͉͚̠̥͕̱͙͎̥̗͕̖͍̙̗̯̞̳͉̟̗͎͈̘̫̦̐̋̏́̾̄̔͒̋̈͜͠͝H̵̫̤̳̟̳̻̟̣͍̳̩̮͎̳̫͈̺͓̯̓̓͜ͅ-̸͚̗̿̿̀̃̐̎̈̋̍̔͒̋̈́̇̂̚̚͝͝͠ḩ̸̧̯̘̘͍͙̠̥͉͓̰̤͕́̓̈́̈́̅̍̃͂̌̓̈́͑̀̀́́̋͊̿̇̉̐͒̌̏̓̈́̎̀̀̏̚̚̚͝͝͝ͅ-̴̨̨̧̡̪̲͕͖̥̜̼̰̻̯̳̣̗͕̭̬̯̗͕͈̭͓̙͓̻̙̭̘̞̀̆͜͜͜h̸̡̨̢̧̨̼̲̦̺̹͚͓̯̠̖͖̹̼̖̠̥̳̠̘̟̻͔̅͗̉̑́̏̓̓͋̓̆̄̊͠͝e̴̛͉͚̯̒̍͑̏̓͑̔͌͗͆̅̆͗͌̏͂̆l̷̡̨̡̢̧̛̦͔̫͚͎͔͍̮̠̺̻̜̳̙̫̳̿̾̍̒̈́̅͛̑͆̂͑̀͒̈̇̏͆̔̄̾̐̌̍̅̿̎̍̑͊͂͛̈́̄͠͝ͅl̵̡̛̼͖͕̠̯̱̙̲̼͈̞͇͉̫̮̤̦̮̯͗̄̐͋̽̓̈͆̃̈́̈̿́̈́̂̇̆̚ͅ.̷̧̡̢̧̟̹͕͇͍̩͇̭̺̝̩͔͇̜̣̬̘̪̪̱̖̖̳̩̟͖͖̊̈̋͒̀̽̉̈͆̔̓̄̋̒̾̈́̏̿͌̑͑̿̃̑͜͜͝͝͝.̶̢̤͚͇͙̱̲̪͊̇̎̽̆̔̄͂̊̌́̏̉͠͠ͅ.̵̡͚͍͉̜͕͎̪̤̫̠̫̻̹̪͑͂̏̋̑͑͂̏̋̀̈́̏͑̔͑̈́̾̂̒̊̔͜ͅ.̵̡̧̛̲̖͉͕̱̤̱̱͇̫̝̱͕̥͕̲̠̖͎̘̖̮̰̣̣͔̙̺̂͗̈́͌̈́́̈́̂́̾͒̅̀̉̉͝͠.̵̢̨̧̢̞̝̹̪̳̹̤̙͇̙̻̞̼̪̺͇̪̺͖̬̟̳͇͙̭̱̰̰̹̰̭͙͍̏̒̊ͅo̵̢̨̯̗͚͕͖̖̭̱̹͇̻̬̱̟̤̤͎͍̭͖͔͓̱͓̲͖͒̾̉́̏̈́̊͑́͆̈́̔̔͘̚͜͜͠͝͝ͅͅơ̶̢̨̡͚͉̥͓̬̞̦̖̤̰̦͓͓̰͔̳͙̠̜̗̟̲̺̘̥̩͙̘͇͓͓̣̪͇͑͊̈́̏̌̔̂̋̒͜ǫ̴̲̳̱̩͉̦̯̺̗̤͚͍͙͖̓͛̓̍̈́͝u—̸̡̨̡̢̡̢̡̛͎͈͍͓͖͇̻̫̝͚̩̖̖̭͙̹̝͎̙͙̬̘͗̓͒̉̑̽̐͂̊͛̐́͆͌͗̌̉̆̓̀̅́͆͗̚ͅ

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“—V̴a̸lyria. Hey kid!”

“Hm?” She glanced up, Beauregard staring at her with a big frown on her face. The music was gone. She blinked a little, her brain still a little fuzzy.

“Uh, w-what’s wrong?” Beau squinted.

“You were uh, staring off at that thing. Everything good?” Valyria frowned. She didn’t mean to stare. Quickly glancing back at Caduceus seemed...normal. The dodecahedron was still in his hands, as he glanced quizzically between it and Jester.

“You were spacing out pretty bad.” Jester said. Valyria frowned, rubbing at her head. 

“Uh...yeah. Y-yeah, sorry. I uh, didn’t sleep very well last night…” She admitted. 

“You good? Any weird dreams?” Fjord asked.

“Dreams about tentacles in particular?” Jester added, causing Valyria to make a face.

As the supposed expert on weird dreams, it made sense that Fjord asked. Valyria was tempted to tell him, but she chalked it all up as not important. It was just bad memories, not visions. Besides, she didn’t even remember what she was spacing out for. She just shrugged, chalking it all up to a lack of sleep. 

“N-no, just ah, memories.” She hoped that was enough for them to drop it. Fjord mouthed the word “ah”, before asking about the dodecahedron. Everyone’s curiosity around Valyria faded, as the conversation devolved into a jab at Fjord about ‘swallowing balls’.

Right, nothing to worry about. Valyria sighed, rubbing at her forehead. It was barely midday, yet she was already so tired. She sat her instrument aside, balling up her bedroll into a pillow so she could lay down for a minute. Just for a minute. She wasn’t in the mood to nap persay, but the sun was warm and bore down in a way that made her want to stretch out and absorb its rays, like Frumpkin was currently doing. Not even a second later her consciousness drifted away.

. . . . . 

“Aaaaaand she’s napping again.” Beau groaned. “Honestly I’m kinda jealous, being able to sleep pretty much whenever.”

“It comes with the territory.” Caleb said, scooping up Frumpkin and scratching him between the ears.

“But for real though, nobody else thought that was creepy? How she just...stared at that thing?” Beau continued. The others nodded.

Beau was the first one to really notice it, the second she stopped playing that grating chunk of wood she glanced in the kid’s direction. It was unnerving. The kid pretty much froze on the spot, her whole face going slack and she _knew_ she saw her eyes glowing brighter than normal. Despite what she said about ‘dozing off’ and ‘nightmares’, she was obviously hiding something. Beau wanted more than anything to push for details, but before she really could there she was—passed out on the cart. 

“Well yeah I mean, it’s pretty captivating for sure.” Jester said as if to justify it. Beau scoffed.

“Sure, and she totally wasn’t acting weird at all at breakfast either.” She pointed out.

“What are you trying to insinuate?” Caduceus asked, tilting his head.

“Something weird’s going on with that kid, that’s all I’m saying.” Beau stated simply, before any of them could get on her case of ‘being mean to the kid’.

“Well, I mean, that’s kind of justifiable, you know?” Jester said in a smaller voice, forcing Beau to consider, “she was stuck in _that place_ longer than any of us.”

“No one gets outta a circumstance like that undamaged.” Fjord muttered.

“You think you were damaged? In there?” Beau said, a little softer. Fjord shifted.

“Maybe. Can’t really tell yet.” There was a pause before Nott said,

“What if those nightmares are actually visions? What if she’s seeing the same thing you’re seeing?” She latched onto Fjord’s arm.

“Uh, I highly doubt she’s got a magical marble stuck in her chest, Nott.” He dismissed.

“I don’t see why or why not, we still don’t really know anything about how her magic works.” Beau said.

“You mentioned she...froze the door while you were at that temple?” Caleb asked, as Jester recounted the misadventure the second they passed through the gates. The tiefling nodded.

“Uh huh, it was like she suspended it all in _glass_ or something.” She explained.

“Hm.” Caleb’s expression remained impassive, but Beau knew what that meant. He was plotting something. She shuffled closer, keeping her face neutral as she prodded,

“Have any ideas you wanna share? You are the de-facto magic expert.” Caleb bristled, slightly.

“I can’t quite say for sure, like I said I’ve never heard or encountered any magic that can freeze or reverse time,” he admitted reluctantly, “but I have heard, of some people with a ah...deeper connection to the weave that lets them use magic impulsively. Or they have a bit of dragon’s blood in their veins.”

“Oh! Kind of like Calina?” Nott suggested, recalling the dragon-hybrid from Berlebin.

“Yes, like Calina.” Caleb said.

“But Valyria doesn’t have any dragon-y bits.” Jester protested, poking Valyria’s face. Her nose scrunched up and she turned over, making Jester giggle.

“Well not all sorcerers have a direct dragon ancestor.” Caleb said. “But that’s just my leading theory. She could have a hidden pact with something, or maybe she’s just born with time-altering powers and just hit magical puberty.” He shrugged. 

“You think we should start asking around? See if there’s anyone else like that?” Beau suggested, rolling her shoulders.

“To what end though?” Fjord asked. 

“Obviously not in a way that draws suspicion.” Caleb commented, almost warningly, “we do want to keep a low-profile on the whole ‘kid with time powers’ right now.”

“I’m not saying we broadcast her like that,” Beau clarified, annoyed he thought she’d be that brazen, “Just enough to know if there’s something _to_ know. I mean, she clearly doesn’t know, or isn’t telling us.” 

“Well, to be fair I think we all carry secrets, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.” Caduceus mused. “Are you willing to divulge every element of how you learned to punch ghosts?” 

“Haha, fair point.” Beau rolled her eyes.

“Still could be a good idea, seeing if anyone else can help her learn how ta understand how her power works.” Fjord said.

“Like you are?” Nott prodded. 

“Pretty much, if the opportunity presents itself.” He nodded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you’ve noticed that I deleted chapter eight, that was because both chapters needed a major face-lift. I’ve noticed how I have a habit of jumping from one over-dramatic scene to the next, and need to work a little more on ‘subtly’—so we’re toning down the angst for a little while. At least until certain plot threads have matured. Let me know if you like this chapter better than the one prior.
> 
> By the way, this will be the last time I go back and rewrite any of my published chapters, as the whole point of this fanfiction exercise is to practice my writing skills...including restraining the urge to rewrite everything ten times over. (Even if it hurts!)


	8. A Little Music

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Valyria’s growing connection to the dodecahedron is drawn into question, but before they can explore further their path is interrupted by some very disagreeable thieves.
> 
> Trigger Warnings:  
> —Mild Language  
> —Starts of an anxiety attack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The time is 10:59pm. I sit alone in a dark room staring upon a screen of a messy rough draft. A can of coffee rests empty at my side. I should be sleeping. I have a test and paper to write tomorrow. Not to mention an opening shift….
> 
> 12:08am: Haha, what is sleep?

The journey was relatively uneventful and quick. They passed through two towns on the road, named Alfield and Trostendwaled respectively. Both were places the Mighty Nein have left an impact on. The first they saved from a noll attack and were herald as heroes. The latter was where they actually first met, and after a strange pooling of coins to release an elf from jail, Valyria was coming to the conclusion her newfound friends had some kind of curse that attracted every weird thing/person in a fifty mile radius. A demonic frog at a circus? She wasn’t even entirely sure the lanky man was an elf. 

Nonetheless it was a good five days of travel. Valyria stayed in the cart for the most part, practicing her music and letting her legs swing off the edge while Nott fussed over her hair. Like she was currently doing now. 

“Your hair is insane!” Nott chatsized, then gasped, “ _Is this a fucking stick_?” She pulled out a twig and thrusted it in front of Valyria’s face, making the girl laugh.

“Would it make you feel better if I said no?” She said bemused. Nott grumbled something under her breath.

Nott was currently perched on a stack of travel bags, combing furiously through her hair with a vengeance after her most recent nap. It was becoming a sort of game between the two. It started with Jester trying, and failing, a new braiding technique which set Nott off. 

“No no and no! You’re doing it wrong!” The goblin had shrieked, with more enthusiasm than...really anyone was expecting. She practically ripped Valyria’s head closer to her, and proceeded to spend a full hour braiding and decorating her hair with assorted ribbons and sparkly bits, only for Valyria to fall out of the cart half a second later and ruin it. Nott insistently tried fixing it again. And again. And again.

“I promise, it’s just bed-head!” She said.

“Yeah I’ll believe it when I see it missy.” Nott grumbled, but good naturedly. She wasn’t really aggravated.

“You’re awful mad for someone who eats raw rats on a regular basis.” Beau teased. Nott scoffed.

“There’s a certain standard of living I like to maintain, thank-you-very much.” She said matter-of-factly, beginning to tie ribbons along the back of Valyria’s horns. 

“Even though you never bathe?” The girl poked jokingly. 

“Ah-ah! You’re not one to talk missy!” Nott chided, accidentally pulling a little too tightly. Valyria winced but didn’t say anything. Beau chuckled again, leaning over to whisper something to Jester that she didn’t catch. 

“I hate to interrupt this interesting conversation, but it looks like we’re coming up on an impasse.” Caduceus said, prodding her to look up. 

They all turned their heads so they could see a ravine, housing a set of gigantic iron-clad doors that must have been the Wuyun Gates. Carts were lined up at the entrance, and there was an encampment of fifty or so soldiers nearby, brandishing proud red and gold armor.

“Mr. Fjord, what do you think of that?” Caduceus asked. Fjord shifted a little.

“Well, to be honest with you Caduceus, that was not here the last time I was here.”

“More soldiers for the war?” Valyria questioned, crawling over to the front seat and accidentally undoing the Ducth braid. Nott sobbed quietly in the back.

“Possibly.” Fjord narrowed his eyes. “They look like they’re part of the Righteous Brand.”

“Think we’ll be ok with these people or should we skirt around them?” Caduceus asked.

“We should be fine, after all we’re leaving not entering.” Fjord said.

“Are you sure they won't have any problems with an enchanted cart?” Valyria pointed out. Everyone paused.

“Ooh, yeah we should probably do something about that.” Jester winced.

A panicked handful of seconds followed with them all jumping out, Jester making sure the dodecahedron was hidden and Valyria stayed more towards the back with Nott in tow. They still had the issue with an enchanted cart to deal with though. As they gathered near the line of carts, they suddenly got the idea that Fjord should look into the dodecahedron to help him talk to the guards.

Valyria’s ears perked up. They hadn’t taken it out since that time with Caduceus, and she was too nervous to ask about it, considering Beau’s weird obsession over her conversations lately. She was insanely curious about it though. Just what was that thing? Jester, unaware of the subtle intensity Valyria had focused on her, opened the haversack and held it up to Fjord. 

“Alright but I don’t under staaaaaaaa…” Fjord drifted off, eyes going hazy as he stared into the orb.

Valyria shuddered. Once again she was hearing that music. The shifting, crystallized notes ebbing softly in the back of her head. Urging her to come close. To look. She resisted that feeling, distracted by a tiny grey light flickering out of the bag. It pulsed, like a heartbeat.

A warm glow enveloped Fjord as it seeped into his chest, and the melody grew significantly softer. Giving her mind room to be aware of the daggers Beau was staring into her back. She froze. 

“You uh, okay kid? You were spacing out again.” Beau said quietly, eyes still digging into her face. She rubbed her wrist.

“Y-yeah, I’m good. Why, do _you_ not feel okay?” She tried turning it around on the monk. She raised an eyebrow. 

Everything seemed to freeze in that moment in their little stare-off, the world around seeming to blur a little. Beau stood there, forcefully relaxed though she wasn’t fooled. Her arms were flexing as she crossed them over her chest, that impenetrable scowl on her face looming over her. Valyria’s chest tightened. Her thoughts were beginning to antagonize her nerves to try and explain why Beau was acting so aggressive. Was she not supposed to be aware of that thing? Did she suspect she was hiding something? She wasn’t! Unless...no, no she definitely didn’t know anything. So why was she feeling guilty of something?

The moment was broken as Fjord came back to his senses. He hummed a little, looking a little dazed and pulling Beau’s attention away from her. Valyria sighed a little.

“That’s a...hell of a thing.” He said, nodding.

“Mhmmm~.” Jester hummed suggestively, waggling her shoulders and giving Fjord a knowing look. 

“Calm yourself Jester, lock it up. Lock it up!” Fjord ordered, getting back up in his saddle. “Mount up, let’s do this.” He said with newfound confidence.

“Yes sir.” Valyria muttered sarcastically, joining everyone specifically on the outside of the cart. She avoided Beauregard.

They were eventually signaled over to an open space where what looked like the leader of the guards was waiting. A tall woman with very chilled features and a glare that almost matched Beau’s. Valyria’s shoulders tensed when her eyes passed over her, and she scooted closer to Caduceus, hoping he wouldn’t mind her using him as a firbolg shield.

“Halt! What is your business and where are you going?” The captain commanded. Fjord stepped forward,

“We are but merchants heading south, down to Nicodranas and Port Damali, in search of goods and wares.” The captain nodded, eying the cart.

“Very well. And what are you carrying across the border, please?” There was a small moment of panic, before Caduceus drew the captain’s attention by saying,

“There’s actually nothing on the cart, this is a preventative measure against theft.” He gestured towards it openly. “You can feel free to inspect the cart yourself, if you like.” 

The captain gave him a dubious frown, before snapping her fingers and drawing two other guards forward and instructing them to take a look. They poked at the illusion hesitantly, before vanishing inside and no doubt poking around the interior. Then they signaled her over. Valyria started drumming her fingers along the neck of her instrument, glancing nervously between the cart and the captain. Surely they wouldn’t arrested them for having an enchanted cart. Right? A couple more minutes passed before she climbed back out, frowning in confusion.

“You are not incorrect, you carry nothing on your cart—this is a curious nature, of an enchantment indeed.” She paused, her frown deepening. “And ah, you said you’re heading to Nicodranas and Port Damali to _acquire_ goods. What are you looking to acquire?”

“Some simple fabrics, meats. My friends haven’t sampled the cuisine down there and I was hoping to uh, show them a bit of the Menagerie Coast.”

There was a faint ripple in the air as he spoke, a distortion. Like a violin string snapping. Valyria shook her head a little, then noticed a tiny echo of magic hovering around Fjord. She blinked and it disappeared.

The captain had been giving Fjord a close look, not leaving direct eye contact with him, seemingly without noticing the magic that just occurred. She nodded when he was done and said,

“Very well, move along.”

Valyria resisted the impulse to sigh. They turned the cart towards the gate, some piling inside including Valyria. 

They passed through, entering a scruffy-looking mountain pass where jagged rocks stretched out of the ground like shattered cathedrals and the road dipped down in steep intervals. Valyria was hit by the realization that this was the first time she had ever been outside of the Dwendalian Empire. It was exciting, a small wave of adrenaline buzzing through her fingers. That excitement grew as they continued onward.

“I can’t believe that worked!” She whispered as they were well out of earshot of the soldiers. She turned to Fjord, stars sparkling in her eyes.

“I was so worried when I saw that magical energy around you, but she didn’t even notice!” That earned a confused look from Fjord.

“Uh, a what?” She hesitated.

“You...didn’t see it?” He shook his head, prompting her to turn to the rest of the group. “Did anyone see this weird ripple effect around Fjord when he was talking to the captain?”

“Uh, no?” Beau said, eyebrow of distrust returning once more.

“Me neither.” Nott said.

“Nope” Jester added quickly.

“Huh.” Valyria plopped onto the cart with a frown, narrowing her eyes at the rocks ahead.

“You’re not seeing things are you?” Beau asked.

Valyria kept very still. Was it really that big a deal? She scratched her wrist, biting her lip. So, if she was seeing things they weren’t seeing, did that also mean they weren’t hearing that music too? She glanced about, wanting to shrink back and meld into the wood.

“...S-so...I take it you can’t hear the music either?” She whispered. Beau’s eyebrows narrowed.

“What music?” Her heart sank.

“I-I...There’s…there’s this melody coming out from the dodecahedron—I’ve been hearing it every time you open that bag! I can’t be the only one sensing this, right?” She explained, growing anxious. Unfortunately she was only met with confused and concerned glances. Why...why could she hear that music and they couldn’t? Was she going crazy? No, no she definitely wasn’t crazy!

Wordlessly Beau gestured for the bag. She eyed Valyria carefully, before pulling out the strange purple relic. Valyria shuddered, once again assaulted by the—albeit weaker—melody. Her mind felt foggy, and she had to make a conscious effort to focus on everything around her or she’d drift off.

“Are you hearing it right now?” Fjord asked slowly. She nodded. 

“What’s it like?” Jester pushed. 

“Uh, well, it’s this,” she fumbled with her attempts at explaining it, “I don’t know how to describe it. It’s not... _bad_ or anything, it’s actually pretty nice. I just...I don’t know. Feel like I’m being pulled towards it?” 

She glanced up at Beau, who kept her expression impassive. She rubbed at her head, the music growing more insistent.

“Ooookay, c-could you put it back? P-please? It’s starting to get overwhelming.” 

Beau immediately shoved the thing back into the bag and Valyria’s posture relaxed. She kept rubbing her forehead, trying to piece her thoughts back together.

“Do you recognize this artifact?” Caleb asked after a moment, eyeing her intently. 

“N-no? I’ve never seen anything like that,” she admitted truthfully, if a bit dazed, “where’d you find that thing anyway?”

“Weeeell, we kinda stole it from the Cerberus Assembly….” Jester said slowly, tapping her fingers together. Valyria spluttered. 

“W-what?” She gaped. Even she knew the Cerberus Assembly was a big deal, no one in their right mind would mess with them. We’re they seriously telling her they just...snatched this thing out of their hands?

“To be fair they technically stole it from the Kryn Dynasty first, so it’s not really a bad thing!” Nott quickly added.

“Th-the Kryn. Dynasty.” She echoed, suddenly needing to lean her back against something. Her grip on reality was starting to slip.

“S-so. We’re carrying a Kryn artifact—an artifact stolen by the Cerberus- _fucking_ -assembly—have no idea what it is or how it works, and for _some reason_ it’s singing at me.” Her hands were shaking again. She tried to calm down, tried to stop the hammering in her chest but it wasn’t going well. 

Everything was getting too small, this cart was getting too small. The canyon walls were closing in, suffocatingly close. 

“That, that’s not good...Thiiiiis isn’t good. Fuck!” She muttered, hugging her knees to her chest.

“I-I’m sure it’ll be fine.” Fjord assured, visibly worried as he patted a hand over her shoulder. She bit her lip.

 _Stop freaking out dammit! I don’t want to worry them—I don’t want to make things worse!_ She tried breathing in slowly through her nose. She plastered a smile over her face, looking up with little success.

“Uh….so...that’s fun.” She breathed.

“Maybe,” Caleb started slowly, drawing her attention, “maybe there’s some kind of connection, between you and that thing. It could be something to do with your magical ancestry, perhaps.” 

“Y-you think so?” She said, trying to distract herself with this new thread of thought. That...that could be a good thing. She never had any leads to what or how her magic worked, so maybe it was a good thing some enemy country’s property had an obvious connection with her soul or whatever. Yeah, definitely a good thing. She chuckled a little deliriously.

“M-maybe I should get a turn meditating with that, thing then. Maybe my head’ ll explode or something!” She said distractedly. Nott made a worried face.

“Well, regardless we should probably wait until tomorrow. It only works once a day.” She said slowly. Valyria nodded slowly.

“Yeah, that sounds fair…” She waited a couple beats before adding, “Could you...maybe explain more about it? And how you found it?” 

“Sure.” Caleb said, decidingly stopping in his reading. He shifted, closing and putting his book away before leaning over hands folded slightly over his knees. But before he had any chance to start talking Caduceus spoke up, telling them to be quiet.

“Wh-what is it?” Valyria whispered but Caduceus held a hand up for her to stop. Silence.

“There’s giants up ahead.” He said calmly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoi guys! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, it sure was a doozy fitting in between classes. Aaaaaaanywho, here’s hoping the next chapter gets uploaded in less than a month 🤞


	9. The Disagreements Between Giants and Gravity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An ambush begins and a hidden conversation is passed between our wizard and adolescent sorcerer.
> 
> Trigger Warnings:  
> —SPOILERS!!!(duh)  
> —Medium Violence (heads go swish, bugs go chomp)  
> —Minor Language  
> —Minor PTSD (from an outsider’s POV)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woohoo! We’ve finally reached 1,000 views! Thank you guys so much for giving my little procrastination project some attention, it really means a lot! ☺️
> 
> I feel like I’m cheating a bit with republishing a much shorter version of a previously written chapter, but I really wanted to publish something this week in celebration and there’s some art included too so I hope that accounts for something. Anyway, enjoy!

Immediately the shorter members of the party began to panic.

“Giants?” Valyira asked, eyes going wide. 

“Where? Where up ahead?” Jester added.

“You didn’t tell me there was going to be giants—” Nott’s voice was just a little too loud, making Valyria clamp a hand over her mouth, wincing at the protruding teeth that grazed her palm. She wriggled in protest, but stopped squealing at least. Everyone went still.

Valyira’s ears twitched as she strained to hear, catching the faintest echoes of someone talking off in the distance. She released Nott, scurrying closer to the front as everyone else clambered into the cart. Glancing over for a second, Caduceus gestured quietly at a nearby rock formation for her to squint at. Her eyes narrowed. There, just there, jutting out from the stone was something’s shoulder. As well as a pile of boulders.

“I think he’s...planning on ambushing us.” 

Despite the grim revelation Caduceus’s voice remained tranquil, waving his hand and summoning a gust of glowing leaves. They blew off towards the figure, wafting around and disappearing within the obscured siloeht. Caduceus adjusted his hold on the reigns, like nothing was out of the ordinary, giving her and everyone else a confident, reassuring look.

The figure seemed to relax as they passed by the stone overhang, though everyone in the cart remained tense. They trotted closer, close enough to see not one, but two heads branching out of the creature’s thick, bulbous shoulders. Its body was covered in filth and nothing but a tattered loincloth over its groin, muscles rippling as its hand flexed over a giant boulder. It seemed ready to pick it up, but as the heads took notice of Caduceus the hand relaxed. Each face moved on its own accord, blinking slowly with beady, smushed-in eyes before waving at them with dopey grins over their mouths. Caduceus waved back, saying something in a guttural dialect, continuing to push the cart forward.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Fjord whispered, astonishment clearly written over his face as he just stared at the firbolg. Valyria smiled widely, glancing up at the giant, still waving, and relaxed. Maybe they could get out of this unharmed.

 _Ah, too soon_. Another voice shouted loudly from the other side, another two-headed behemoth emerging and glaring furiously at its counterpart. Both heads were shouting, gesturing to the cart and the other giant. Valyira’s chest tightened, magic stirring in anticipation for a fight.

Caduceus didn’t flinch, even interjecting the conversation causing the other one to grow agitated. Caleb shuffled a little, scotching forward to be closer to the front as he pulled out a white goose feather. Vlayria backed away cautiously as he traced it in a triangle, a faint muttering of the arcane spilling from his mouth and coiling around his hands, eyes firmly affixed to the other giant. 

The giants stomped over, the left one growing more agitated as it seemed about ready to tear the other’s two heads off. As it took another step, Caleb’s spell lashed out and sank its fangs into the giant. It’s eyes dilated, a panicked scream leaving its lips as it dropped the boulder and ran, like it had stepped into a den of snakes. 

The cart casually continued forward, leaving behind the impasse and barreling through the pass. Valyria waved at the passive giant, even if he couldn’t see her. She couldn’t help but laugh.

“That was amazing!” Nott said, shaking Caleb’s shoulders with wonderment in her yellow eyes. The wizard grinned behind his hand. The cart exploded, everyone laughing and complementing the two for avoiding an all-out brawl. 

“That was incredible!” Valyria gushed, leaning over the front as Caduceus asked the horses to pick up speed. She held onto the edge of the wagon, a bit off-balanced. “What kind of spell did you use? I didn’t know you could even do anything like that—and Caleb! What did you _do_?” 

“It was nothing, I just calmed the fellow down a little.” Caduceus said, smiling as he kept his eye on the road.

“Those two just saw their worst fears.” The wizard explained, more to the goblin than to her, looking proud as he pocketed the feather. 

“So—did you project something specific or was it just manifesting what they were personally afraid of?” She continued, hugging the wood. 

“More the latter.” Caleb confirmed, glancing up at her with a wink.

“Coooool…” Valyria grinned. She was just about to ask how long the spell lasted when a loud roar interrupted her. A not too distant thud thud thud drew her attention towards the back, where the two giants were rushing forward over the horizon. Neither one looked too pleased.

“Oh come on…” She groaned.

“The jig is up!” Caduceus charged the horses faster, but the giants were still gaining. They were also armed. Tree trunks with rocks wrapped around the branches, one with bits of metal sticking out, looking ready to crush them in seconds. 

“Eat arrow assholes!” Nott shouted, firing her crossbow down the road. It missed, stretching over high before another landed firmly in the lower jaw of the left giant’s head. Panicking, that head started reaching up to pull it out as the other head kept the body charging forward.

Beau suddenly kept off the cart, skittering to a stop and whipping out her staff. Caleb cursed, jumping out and scuttling closer while pulling out a pinch of iron dust from his pocket. He expanded his arms, and suddenly Beau was even height with the giants.

“What?” Valyria gaped, the giant monk grinning like a feral cat. The giants continued their charge, the one wielding the metal-encrusted tree aiming for Beauregard. The other was edging closer to the cart.

Fjord reacted, summoning and slashing twice across its torso. A gathering of violet-outlined smoke wound around his sword hand, shooting out and seeping into the flabs of flesh within the giant’s body. 

“Urugh?” It frowned, jutting its head into the cart and past the illusion.

Valyria jerked back, suddenly face to face with two pudgy, tusked faces that breathed on them. Their eyes were a grimy yellow, teeth stained green and jutting out like a hog’s, their skin thick and rolling off their cheeks in fatty, greasy layers. Each head well was well larger than her body. Her heart did a double-flip, chest constricting as the heads leered down at them. Everyone in the cart bed screamed. 

Unable to come up with a cool battle quip like Nott, she just threw her hounds out. Her chest jerked her forward as ripples of energy lashed out of her arms. The magic seeped out of her fingers, and her warmth with it, wrapping around the giant and jerking it skyward. She grunted, the full brunt of it pressing against her arms and chest as she heaved the giant upward. It wailed, flailing uselessly as the magic hoisted it twenty feet into the air.

“Guah!” She grunted, steadying herself as the cart jolted. Damn this guy was heavy!

“Save the cart—scatter!” Fjord ordered, leaping out as Caduceus slowed the horses to a trot. 

_“I can’t really get up right now!_ ” She wanted to shout, too busy focusing on keeping the writhing bag of fat from reaching them.

Jester leapt out of the cart, spinning her wrist to summon a giant pink, sparkly lollipop that fell hard onto one of the heads, an audible thud accompanying it.

“Yeah!” Jester’s smile turned manic and her eyes flashed an unearthly yellow. A massive, black iron bell appeared at the exposed side of each head, an ominous **thud** echoing through the valley as they rang. The giant groaned, dark, blackish blood pouring from their ears as the bells disappeared, disintegrating into sparkly glitter. Jester cheered, then scrambled back. 

An arrow loosed from within the cart, landing directly within the left head’s exposed jaw. There was a horrible sucking sound as it tried to tear it out of its throat, the other head rolling its eyes and grumbling something. With that, Nott leapt off the cart and scrambled behind one of the rocks on the road and hid.

Valyria continued to progressively lift the giant up into the air. By now it was at least forty feet upward, and she was managing to tilt them so their heads were angled towards the ground. She risked a quick glance to her right, spotting Beau engaged in a violent bashing match with the other giant. Obviously winning, as she just swiped her staff under his legs. She turned back as an echoing ‘boom’ followed, sweat beading on her forehead.

“Things are going well.” She muttered under her breath, pushing the giant up another twenty feet as the cart shuffled forward. 

Caleb scrambled back, looking up at the floating giant that clawed in his direction. He lifted his arms, grasping his left wrist and releasing three rays of fire from the gloved hand. 

Rocks shot out from the canyons as one fireball missed, the other two slamming into the giant’s sides. Howling in pain, it thrashed about as it tried to pat out the flames. Valyria was pushed back a little bit, but held steady against the giant’s weight. Her fingertips started growing numb. Another scream quickly followed, this one by from the giant Beau was fighting as a swarm of green beetles started gathering over its body, pincers biting in and devouring its skin. 

She glanced back at where the giant was currently floating. Nearly sixty feet. She licked her lips, lifting it up just a little higher, pushing her limits just an inch further…before abruptly snapping her connection.

The giant fell. A manic smile drew across her lips as it came crashing into the ground, then winced at the crunching _squelch_ that followed. She risked a glance, seeing a goryishly cartoony sight of both heads being caved into its torso that was frozen upright in a rigid headstand. There was a second, then another, before gratuity took hold and the body fell forward, fat jiggling on the canyon floor. A pool of black ichor slowly puddling around its body. Her sense of pride quickly soured into nausea and her stomach clenched in guilt. Did she really just kill something and feel _proud_ for it?

“Yeah Valyria!” Beau encouraged, before stomping on one of the downed giant’s faces. Valyria gave a weak thumbs up as she tried not to hurl over the road. 

Forget guilt, these thugs tried to kill them first, technically, and no one else was seeming bothered by it, so why should she? She shouldn’t. She shouldn’t show weakness. Right? If she did then they’d think she wasn’t cut out for adventuring and leave her somewhere—

She rubbed at her mouth, pushing her thoughts away as she reached forward and started tugging at the reigns of the horses. Something practical and actually useful to everyone.

The sounds of fighting continued as the others descended upon the surviving giant. Jester blew a kiss, sending out a golden beam that slammed into the monster’s chest, expanding and condensing into its body. The giant’s heads groaned as it stumbled to its feet, snarling as it adjusted its grip on its weapon. 

It roared, crashing the tree down and narrowly missing Caleb. Caleb in turn, pulled out a glob of mush and slammed his hands together. As they pulled apart, a raging torrent of red flames gathered between his palms, funneling into a tiny bed of condensed embers. With an echoing **_BOOM_ ** it shot forward.

The beatles quickly dispersed. The bead exploding and fire lashed out all over the giant’s body, consuming it in torrents of red and orange. The giant roared, flames dying down to reveal the torched creature. Still standing. Caleb backed away, his hands shaking and his eyes growing wide as he glanced feverishly towards the others.

The horses finally stopped, allowing Valyria to turn her head again. She stared at the giant. Surrounded. Charred. Looking over at the body of its dead, crushed companion, one head laughing and the other looking remorseful. She tensed. _Come on, don’t be an idiot!_

The heads grunted, to each other. It bent down, reaching for the other club-like weapon and looked once more over the group. With a final grunt it turned tail and ran full tilt. Her friends didn’t seem to show any interest in chasing it. Valyria sighed.

Her ears perked up as another whistling boom filled the canyon, as Caleb sent another fireball charging forward. There was a laugh coming from the giant, followed by a scream as the flames engulfed it. Her hands went numb. The others turned to congratulate _,_ to _cheer_ at Caleb but he just stood there. Staring at his hands.

“Oh no.” Nott whispered. Valyria stayed there in the cart, watching shakily as Beau picked up the wizard, who did not seem to register what was going on, and strode over to the cart. She shrunk down, still carrying Caleb with ease as she set him in. Caleb didn’t move, his eyes looking outward. Beau risked a glance at her, who kept herself a safe distance away.

“You good?” She asked, clearly noticing the pale parlour on her face.

“Uh, yeah. Yeah I’m fine.” She glanced over to the wizard. “Is _he_ alright?”

Beauregard made a face, patting his shoulder a little awkwardly. Caleb moved a little in response, but didn’t look up.

“Yeah he um, kinda does this sometimes.” She patted his shoulder again. “Don’t worry, he’ll be fine. Right Caleb?” Caleb nodded a little. 

Satisfied, or just not knowing what else she could do, the monk wandered off to the others. Valyria wasn’t so sure. She looked the wizard up and down, recognizing the uncontrollable twitching in his hands. 

There was one of the blankets nearby, which she gingerly wrapped over him—making sure to not trap him inside. She rubbed her hands together, fingers still a little numb from straining her magic, then she started looking around for a water skin. He seemed to start slogging out of his stupor, eyes still a little foggy as he blinked, seeming to finally notice her.

“Are, you going to be alright?” She asked hesitantly, backing away to give him his space. She was still a bit apprehensive of the wizard, the fireworks he just launched wasn’t exactly erasing her concerns. She hadn’t forgotten the way he looked at her back in the Sour Nest either. He noticed the blanket as it shifted off slightly, and pulled it tighter around himself with a nod.

“J-ja. I should uh, probably stop doing that.” He murmured. She glanced back at the funneling cloud of smoke, unsure of what to say.

“I mean, if you want to…um...” she grimaced at yet another blunder of sagely wisdom. She coughed a little, then handed Caleb the water skin. He took it with a nod, hands still a little shaky, before throwing his head back and gulping down ravenously. Valyria fiddled with her hands.

She wanted to ask what caused him to seize up like that, though it was fairly obvious what did it. The real question was how? What happened that made him so shaken? A thought of their time at breakfast flashed by, and she grew tempted to salve her curiosity but held back. She knew first-hand people weren’t so willing to expose their scars, let alone after having them so violently cut open. They had given her that respect, at least eventually, so she would give Caleb hers. Instead, she sat across him, taking her own shot of water as he handed the skin back.

Anyone would normally feel content to wait in the palpable silence that followed, but Valyria was getting anxious. The canyon walls were too narrow for her comfort, and she had a feeling the mental isolation wouldn’t do Caleb any favors either. _Be useful._ She started searching the cart again. Caleb glanced over absentmindedly, but turned his attention back to studying the grains of wood in the cart. Then he was abruptly interrupted by a loud clunk as Valyria plopped beside him, hurdy gurdy in hand. He blinked. 

“So! Do you know any songs in Zemnian?” She tried to not feel stupid about how blunt her attempt was.

“Uh,” he didn’t seem keen on answering.

“Oh! You know that one song you were singing back at Trostenwald?” She said, as if just coming to realize it herself, recalling when the adults got a little too hammered back at one of the inns. She fiddled with the wheel a little. “I’ve been trying to get the tones right, but I’m not sure if it matches up. Would you mind lending your ear for a bit?” She tried looking up at him the way Jester would, maybe not as obvious and glittery, but still innocent enough to garner some guilty obligation.

“Uh, s-sure.” He said, simply trying to placate her.

“Okay! So…” She started playing a couple notes, her hand a lot steadier along the keys as they had been before. She got a couple lines in before having to retry one of the sets, frowning a little as she tried to remember the exact pacing of the song. She just couldn’t figure out how the last four notes should go. Caleb seemed moderately amused, watching her play in a similar way he would to Nott or his cat. 

“Was the third chorus like this?” She finally asked, playing a couple of notes along the neck.

“No, it’s more like a ah,” Caleb hummed the notes quietly, just so she could hear it. His cheeks were a little pink, but she barely noticed.

“Okay, so like...” She tried again, this time the end notes coincided with the overall pacing of the song. 

After that she had the song relatively playable. About halfway through, she caught Caleb muttering the lyrics under his breath. Her hand hesitated half a second, but she kept playing. She didn’t dare look at him, in case he’d notice and stop singing, but she allowed the tiniest grin of triumph to etch over her face.

She successfully distracted Caleb the rest of the ride through the canyon. Not that she played the entire way. There could be another ambush ahead for all they knew, as Beau was quick to point out after they all settled in. Unperturbed, she started prodding Caleb with questions about his studies, being careful to ask about the mechanics behind magic and less on where he learned said theories. 

It was...an interesting challenge to say the least. Valyria listened intently, wanting to learn about the arcane but finding it hard and...painfully impossible to wrap her head around the complexities of transfiguration and nuances of runes. It was hard to ask questions that didn’t sound ignorant or repetitive, and she cringed inwardly at how annoying she was beginning to sound.

Caleb barely seemed to notice. His posture actually relaxed, his voice losing the meek restraint it usually held. He spoke with conviction, each word buzzing with controlled but palpable excitement, emphasizing each and every note with purpose. It seemed that no question was too mundane for him, no answer too arbitrary. It was impossible not to be enthralled.

Soon their conversation was becoming a lecture, Valyria simply asking the odd question here and there. She fought against the wave of exhaustion that came with her magic, not wanting to miss a thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spell: This is actually Levitate from the player's handbook 5e, normally used on allies and it says specifically that they don’t crash down once the spell ends. However, nothing in the handbook says anything about when concentrations snapped so hah! Instant fall damage!
> 
> Also: Expect some updates at the later part of the chapter. I really wanted to write an interesting discussion with Valyria and Caleb but I’ve got papers due that I haven’t even started yet, so please bear with me for now.


End file.
